Duty Bound
by xxEvaAngelxx
Summary: After the war has ended Ryoma is still reeling from the death of the woman he loved; Scarlet. With Nohr and Hoshido faced with the need for a political marriage, Ryoma- who has already given up on love, agrees to sacrifice his freedom to choose his wife, instead marrying for the good of the kingdom.
1. The Decision

**Dislaimer: All I own is the plot!**

 **A/N: I know the supports in game make it feel like a forced ship, but I've really been drawn to the idea of a political marriage. While I'll be doing it in my other fic, this idea sprung to mind on the coach today and I just couldn't brush it off! Marriage isn't always sunshine and roses- as Ryoma and Camilla will find out!**

The sound of birds cawing filled the air as a strip of light shone into the grand looking room. The walls a rich red colour, the room felt warm and welcoming, decorated beautifully with gold accents and ornaments. To the far right of the room stood a masculine mannequin, clad in scarlet coloured armour; each piece perfectly maintained with a bright sheen to it.

For a few moments there was no movement in the room aside from the gentle rustling of the floor length burgundy curtains as the wind blew through the room. The peace was soon interrupted however by a loud knock on the door.

Groaning slightly, a head of messy brown hair rose out from underneath silken covers. "I do not want any visitors, begone!" A masculine voice called out before the covers were once again pulled over his head.

The voice was met with silence for a moment, before the door creaked open and a lithe figure appeared. Dressed in black and burgundy, his one eye looked over at the bed as he folded his arms. Though his mouth was covered, it was clear that the young man was in a serious mood. "King Ryoma, the delegate from Nohr is awaiting your presence in the royal hall." Pausing, the ninja looked away, turning his gaze to the window. "I understand that you have lost the person you love the most, but you have a duty to this kingdom. You are king now, do not forget your responsibilities."

For a moment the red haired ninja received no response; King Ryoma's body lay unmoving beneath the covers as the man processed his retainers words. "You are right, Scarlet worked hard to end this war, it is my duty to see her wishes through in her place." He muttered as he sat up, his hair wilder than ever. "Did Silas say what it was he needs to discuss with me?"

"The union of Nohr and Hoshido my king, it is the day you are required to discuss with King Xander what will happen." Looking at his king for a moment, Saizo frowned slightly. "I trust you will make the right decision."

"Is there really any right decision friend, regardless two people will marry out of duty instead of love. I understand that it is essential to strengthen the bond between the two kingdoms, but it fills me with unease regardless." Standing up, Ryoma began to dress as he thought about the best way to deal with such a situation.

"It is a difficult choice, but everyone will trust in the decision you make." Without further ado the ninja turned on the spot, disappearing in a poof of smoke.

Sighing, Ryoma began to attach his armour to his body. After many years of getting ready, the young king had learnt to put it on without the aid of any maids; disliking the thought of needing help from anyone. For a while, Scarlet had assisted in putting his armour on after sharing his bed the night before, but never again would the courageous woman share his bed again. A bitterness filled his mouth as he thought about his love; though he admired her strength to the very end he could not help the rage inside him at the fact she had died too soon.

They had once talked about a life together; he would have done anything just to be by her side for the rest of his days. Once the war was over they were going to wed, she would be queen and together they were going to lead the kingdom to a more prosperous and peaceful place. Though she had died a hero; protecting his brother Corrin, Ryoma wished there could have been another way for the both to live.

Shaking his head as he began the laborious task of taming his mane of hair, Ryoma turned his thoughts to the impending meeting with Silas. He had to admit he had not given the situation much thought since he and Xander had discussed it the day after they ascended their thrones.

Looking in the mirror, he knew in his heart that he could not ask any more of his siblings, all of which had suffered enough hardship during the war. He knew he could not ask any of them to give up their choice to marry for love; he loved his siblings far too much to take one of the most rewarding, blissful things in the world from any one of them. Putting his headpiece on, Ryoma resolved that there was only one course of action that he could take.

Determined to see things through to the end, Ryoma quickly made his way towards the royal hall, taking quick strides as the frown grew on his face. With an almighty push, the doors flew open; revealing not only Silas, but the Nohrian royals as well. As he stepped inside he tried to hide his surprise, clearly caught off guard by the royal visit. "King Xander, what an unexpected surprise, you needn't have come all this way."

"Oh on the contrary, it is vital this matter is decided today; we have had reports that many Nohrian civilians are concerned that our ties with Hoshido are weak and that in consequence rebels may attempt to stir up war amongst this discontent." Pausing, the built blonde adjusted his hair slightly. "I hope this is no inconvenience to you of course."

Looking at the four members of royalty Ryoma nodded his head slightly. Looking at the group, he wondered which of the princesses would soon become his bride. Though he still mourned for his lover he knew that no matter what his bride would be comfortable. It was not conventional in some senses, but marriage for political reasons had occurred for centuries, this would be no different. "I will spare you any wait, I have decided that the royal who shall marry a royal of Nohr will be me. I greatly apologize if this is not to your liking, however I cannot put my siblings through such a trying situation."

"Trying situation?" Camilla spoke up, stepping forwards slightly. "What is so trying about marrying the eldest princess of Nohr... King Ryoma?"

"Sister! What are you doing?" Elise cried out, looking over at Camilla. "We haven't even discussed it, I'm a possibility too you know!"

"Oh hush darling, it is my duty as the second eldest to fulfill my duty as princess and bind our kingdoms, if this displeases King Ryoma then we will have to reassess a political marriage, but you will not be embroiled in politics like this honey." Walking forward, Camilla stopped directly in front of the brunette. "What do you say?"

"If this is the wishes of your ladyship I will be honoured to have you as my Queen." Offering his hand to the buxom woman, Ryoma could not help but think of how different she was to his beloved Scarlet. He knew it could not be helped, but looking at Camilla he tried to choke down the feeling that he would never be able to love her.

"Then it's settled." Taking his hand, the lilac haired woman smiled slightly. "If I am to be your wife it is only right that I stay here and assist in preparations for the wedding; could you get a room made up for me darling, it simply wouldn't do for us to sleep in a room together before we are wed afterall."

"Certainly, I will ask for one of our best rooms to be made up for you. My retainer Kagero will be at your disposal for as long as you shall need; I am to presume that your personal retainers will be joining us eventually?"

As the two spoke in brisk, formal tones Elise turned to look at her brothers. "Is this really the right thing to do?" She asked, a concerned look in her eyes as she looked up at the pair.

"Not really, but she's made her mind up now." Pausing, Leo looked at Elise, a small smile on his face for the young woman. "Don't worry, Camilla can take care of herself."

Nodding a fraction, Elise looked back at her big sister. "I hope so..."


	2. Cultural Differences

**A/N: I'm honestly surprised by the positive reception to this fic already! Thank you everyone who clicked favourite, followed and reviewed- as well as all you mysterious people who took the time to read my little fic! I hope you all continue to read and enjoy- but please, if there's something you'd like to see just review or even pm me and let me know!**

 **After this chapter i'll be writing this in alternation with my other multichap fire emblem fic; A New Path (check it out!). All being well I will alternate between them each week, and i'll write chapter three for whichever is more popular first.**

 **Now! In response to reviews:**

 **Guest: Thank you for reading, and taking the time to write such a detailed review. I agree, using can't instead of cannot is far more natural and I myself use it all the time. However! Royalty would have been brought up to speak in a more proper way; hence the full words. I took inspiration from Sakura and Hana's C support which addresses the topic of speech. I also did this with Saizo in chapter one because many people speak in a far more formal way when addressing royalty, and I couldn't see such an honour bound man speaking so colloquially with the king, even if he is Ryoma's retainer. So basically, it was a conscious choice to represent the manner of their upbringing- with Elise I did drop to a more colloquial manner, as she's younger and it's easier to get out of habits at younger ages.**

 **In response to your other remark, unfortunately in my degree it was drilled into me to explain every little thing as though the reader knows nothing of the situation, to make it more accessible. I do take these instances out as best as I can in proofreading, but I skipped proofreading as it was really late and I honestly didn't think it'd be read much! I don't intend to skip proofreading in future though.**

 **Patattack: Thank you so much, I hope you continue to enjoy!**

Stepping into her new room, Camilla found herself stunned to silence. She had grown used to dark, foreboding rooms from all her years growing up in Nohr, and as such the bright and welcoming rooms seemed strange and out of place to the eldest princess. It would take some getting used to of course, but Camilla felt confident that she could adjust with ease.

It was a lie of course, for while Camilla held her head high as she looked at the cream walls with ornate floral patterns, she felt uneasy inside. Until the moment that Ryoma announced it would be he that would marry, Camilla had felt calm, presuming that it would be Xander who would wed. Ever serious in everything he did, she had no doubt in her mind that he would have sacrificed everything for the good of the kingdom.

Camilla looked around, her expression hard to read as she walked over to the vanity, running her fingers along the top of it. She had to admit the room was more than large enough for her needs; a beautiful golden folding screen stood towards the far end of the room and from what she could see the wardrobe was a room of its own, more than large enough for her possessions to be properly hung within it. Now that the war was over she would need far more clothes suited to public appearances of course, but Camilla felt determined to not give up her training, she had worked too hard to retire from fighting and be a meek little wife.

Whatever Ryoma was expecting from her, Camilla was sure that he would end up disappointed. Though Elise would have made a far more loveable queen, her cheerful attitude having won people over, Camilla knew that she could never let that happen. The lilac haired woman was well aware that people thought she was only protective over her younger brother Corrin, this was simply not the case, if there was anything she could do to protect little Elise she would do it in a heartbeat.

"I hope the room is suitable for you, I know it must be different to what you are used to, but King Ryoma has instructed that we make any changes you may require." A formal voice spoke up, drawing Camilla away from her thoughts. As she turned she came face to face with a ninja with long black hair, tied back into a ponytail. Smiling slightly, she realised exactly who the woman was.

"Oh there's no need to speak so formally with me dearest, I feel like I know you intimately already Kagero." A small smirk graced her lips as she walked over to the cream chaise lounge. "After all, Orochi speaks about you all the time, and as I will be staying here it seems a bit odd to speak so prim and proper does it not?"

"Orochi speaks of me?" A light blush spread across the young woman's cheeks as she stepped towards Camilla. "Is she well?"

"Absolutely, my brother is determined to give her anything she desires...though it's obvious to see that she misses you dearly." Patting the seat next to her, Camilla gestured for Kagero to join her. "I can always ask Xander to send her back you know, after the wedding our kingdoms will be bound irrevocably, I'm sure he can make do with correspondence via pigeons."

Cautiously sitting on the edge of the seat, Kagero shook her head slightly. "She is there by King Ryoma's wishes, we must respect that milady."

"Nonsense! Surely your king can see how dearly you love her." Smiling, Camilla brushed her hair aside. "You're his retainer, he should care about your feelings more than his own!" Pausing, she put her hand atop of Kagero's. "Please, none of this milady nonsense, it'll drive me to despair if I have to hear that every waking minute, it would be nice to have someone other than my darling Corrin who treats me like a regular human."

"L-Love her? I fear you have got the wrong idea mil-Camilla, Orochi is my dearest friend that is all." The blush only grew upon Kagero's cheeks as she looked at the lilac haired woman in shock. "If you wish for me to treat you like any other I will." Taking a deep breath, she looked sternly at the princess. "Why did you agree to marry King Ryoma, what are your intentions?"

"Oh, you want to know if I'm just trying to steal the crown from your lord?" Laughing slightly, she stood up. "Don't worry, I agreed out of duty, my brother thinks it is of the upmost importance our two kingdoms are bonded and as lovely as Elise is, I want her to marry for love not out of duty." Walking over to the wardrobe, she sighed as she noticed it was empty. "Though if I had of known your King was going to volunteer himself I would have brought some of my possessions."

"I hardly think that Nohrian attire will be received well at this time, though the war is over there are still tensions within the kingdom." Standing up herself, Kagero looked Camilla up and down for a moment. "The king has not announced it, but I'm sure he'll shortly be ordered by Lady Hinoka to call for you to attend dinner with the other royals. As suitable as that armour may be for a fight it seems of little comfort, I would offer you something of mine but they would hardly be appropriate."

"Oh, you don't think I'd suit being a ninja? Darling I'm hurt." A playful smile on her face, she looked over at the ninja. "Well neither Hinoka or Sakura will be my size so they'll just have to accept the armour, it can't be helped."

"Actually, one of Takumi's retainers works wonders with clothes, I'm sure she'd be able to sort something out for you, I'll go fetch her for you shall I?" Briskly walking towards the door, Kagero grasped the handle. Before pulling the door open however, she turned to face Camilla once more. "I just want to say... I really respect the sacrifice you're making, King Ryoma is a good man, he'll treat you fairly." Pausing, she looked away for a moment before looking back to her. "If you need anyone to talk to at any time, I am happy to be of assistance." With one last nod towards Camilla, Kagero made her way out of the room.

Smiling slightly, Camilla sat down at her vanity, looking in the mirror. With a sigh she began the laborious art of removing her armour, starting with her left arm. There would definitely be a lot of adjusting to do; a whole new culture and way of life to learn. It was best that she at least try to make an effort with their customs, even if she found some to be ridiculous and uncomfortable. It could be worse she supposed, at least Ryoma was attractive, even if a little wild looking.

Carefully extracting her crown from her head, Camilla looked down at the ashen representation of her rank. That was another thing that would be different she supposed, she was so used to wearing possessions that showed her place within society, but looking at the Hoshidan siblings it was clear that they placed less emphasis on the importance of such material objects. She did wonder, as she looked at her reflection, if she would have to change herself entirely just to fit into this strange new world, but before she could ponder too much on the matter she jolted slightly as a sharp rapping sound was heard. "Come in!" She called out, looking over to the door.

Moments later the door opened and a young woman poked her head around the door, her navy hair tied in a long ponytail. She smiled slightly, before pushing the door open fully, revealing several beautiful fabrics draped over her left arm. "Pardon the intrusion milady, but Kagero said you needed help with clothing! Don't worry, I'm a tailor's daughter so you're in good hands."

"Thank you, it would seem Kagero neglected to tell me your name however." Smiling, she stood up, looking at the woman for a moment before she set to work undoing her torso armour.

"The names Oboro, it's lovely to meet you, Kagero mentioned that you'll be a permanent part of the household, I hope we'll get to know one another." Walking over to the undressing woman, she placed the clothing on the side before looking at the princess. "Though if your intentions are not honourable I will not hesitate to take action."

"Aren't you feisty, you'll get on splendidly with my retainers, Selena is just the cutest little tsundere I've ever seen, and Beruka may seem rather unusual at first but she's extremely loyal to those she trusts." With a slight sigh, she looked over at Oboro. "Would you be able to assist me in dressing, I'm afraid I won't have a clue how to put on any of the clothing native to Hoshido."

"Yeah alright, if you've never worn one of these before we should probably use a shorter one, you don't look like you wear long clothing a lot and I doubt the king will appreciate it if his bride to be falls over into the food." Laughing slightly, she pulled out a purple floral patterned kimono from the pile. "When you're ready."

Taking off her last pieces of armour, Camilla looked at the naginata wielder. "Do you have a problem with me being here Oboro, or are you just naturally tense around people?"

"I just don't see why there needs to be a political marriage, Lord Takumi has been worrying ever since your brother brought up the matter, he could just of easily been forced to marry you." Shaking her head, she stepped towards Camilla slightly. "I don't understand how anyone could marry for any reason but love."

"Oh I see, you like the little lord and you were panicking he'd have to be married off and you'd lose all chance of being with him." Placing the last armour piece on the side, Camilla stood in her undergarments, an amused expression on her face. "You understand duty as a retainer correct? It is similar to that, except as the eldest female it is my responsibility to act for the good of the whole kingdom rather than just one person; as you would do anything for Takumi, I would do anything to maintain the peace my dearest Corrin fought so hard for. It's not a choice I make lightly Oboro, and I don't expect you to understand, but I do hope that you will not look down on me too much for giving up on love."

Silently the blue haired woman stepped forwards, sliding the kimono up Camilla's arms one by one. "I'm sorry you're going to be in a loveless marriage, no one deserves that."

As she looked at the woman in front of her, Camilla smiled slightly. "And why will I be in a loveless marriage darling?"

"Because King Ryoma still loves Scarlet, Lord Takumi is sure that he'll never love again, King Ryoma doesn't give his heart away easily, and he was always so dedicated to her." Pulling the Kimono into its proper place, Oboro pulled the very same face that scared little children. "So I'm sorry, I know how it feels to never have a chance with someone."

"I see..." As Oboro slipped an obi belt around Camilla's waist the buxom woman nodded slightly. "Don't worry about it, I'll make the best with what I have." Taking a breath in, she looked down at her outfit. "I didn't realise clothes here were so...liberating, they're nothing like the clothing in Nohr, it's all so tight there."

"Well get used to it, I'm sure the King will arrange for a lot more clothes like this for you, Hinoka or Sakura will nudge him about it, he has a lot on his mind after all." Stepping away, Oboro admired her work. "You keeping your hair down?"

All of a sudden the door knocked once more much to the surprise of the two women. Unsure of who it could be, Camilla walked towards the door, opening it to reveal the last person she had expected to see; Ryoma. "What a pleasant surprise, can I help you with anything honey?" She asked, leaning against the door slightly.

"Good evening Lady Camilla, I see that Kagero has arranged you some clothing." Looking away slightly, he appeared to be embarrassed. "I hope your room is to your liking. If there is anything that can be done to make you feel more at home you need only ask."

"My room is just lovely my liege, thank you for arranging it so swiftly." Looking him up and down, Camilla smiled slightly. "You are looking well, I was concerned that you might be under the weather when I saw you this morn."

"Ill? No, not at all." The tall man only seemed to grow more embarrassed with every pressing second. "Would you care to join me for dinner? My siblings will be there as well, but it would be remiss of me to allow you to eat alone."

"I'd love to, perhaps afterwards we could have a drink together and get to know one another." Stepping towards him slightly, Camilla put her hand on Ryoma's arm as she smiled.

"I...I am sorry but that is simply not plausible, I have a lot of duties to attend to after dinner." Upon seeing the disappointment on her face, Ryoma hesitated. "Perhaps some other time."

"Oh...Of course, another time." Taking a deep breath and forcing a smile, she stepped out of her room and into the corridor with him. "Shall we get going then?"

"Indeed." Without further ado he led the way down the corridor and towards the banquet hall. Sighing slightly, Camilla followed him without another word, her thoughts racing as she wondered if she could really make a marriage with the man in front of her work, his intent to distance himself clear as day.


	3. An Eventful Dinner

Chapter 3:

 **A/N: Thanks again for the interest guys, every review, favourite and follow makes me extremely happy! Positive receptions are a great source of inspiration, especially those reviews. So don't forget to review, and let me know your favourite ships in fates- even if you can't get supports between them (like Ryoma and Scarlet) I'd love to hear!**

 **Please, go vote on the poll for this fic, you'll find it on my profile - or vote with the forum-** **topic/192867/152146593/1/Takumi-Ships**

The walk to the banqueting hall was one filled with silence. Every now and then Camilla would glance over at the tall brunette, trying to work out what she could possibly say to him. Whilst they were both royals and were due to wed, Camilla was struggling to think of anything the pair would have in common; other than Corrin of course. As they walked it was clear to the lilac haired woman that he out his depth just like she was. "The...the clothing you wear here is very beautiful is it not?" She spoke up, wanting to be rid of the awkward silence already.

"It is? I'm not one for the passing fashions I am afraid." Looking away, Ryoma pretended he was intently interested in a painting on the wall. As the silence began once more, the king frowned, realising it would not be seemly to ignore the Nohrian princess, the bond between the two kingdoms still precarious. "In this hall we keep paintings of all the previous rulers of the kingdom; one day the time will come that you and I will be added to the centuries of Hoshidan rulers."

Turning to look at the pictures, Camilla could not help but notice a striking resemblance between the man to her left and a man in the painting closest to her. "I see you take after your father's side then, you've even kept the strangely wild hair of the kings before you." Laughing slightly, she looked between the painting and Ryoma.

"...Strangely wild hair? Do you have a problem with my hairstyle? It is a symbol of great power within our kingdom; paired with a royal headpiece it is a symbol that has come to represent strength and wise leadership within Hoshido." The royal frowned deeply, an irritated look on his face as he looked at the eldest princess.

"Well some family traditions should be broken if that's the case, surely all your subjects see is that their king refuses to keep up with the times and get a haircut, at least your brother keeps his hair controlled." Rolling her eyes, she walked forwards slightly, looking at a picture of a woman with long flaming red hair. "Is there some kind of tradition that the queen needs to cover nearly all their skin and tie their hair up as well?" She asked, exasperation clear in her voice.

"Traditions are there for a reason, they should be respected not spoken about with such disregard." The harshness in his voice was clear as he slowly turned to look at her. "That is my mother, she was a fine and beautiful woman, her attire was perfectly queenly, she understood that as a queen it is important to dress modestly and present a refined air to her subjects." Looking away, Ryoma sighed slightly. "But no, there is not a strict dress code; the only piece all queens have worn for as long as Hoshido has possessed a monarchy is the golden hair piece you can see in the paintings, you may have seen Queen Mikoto wear it before your father had her killed."

"Oh so we're finally onto this now? I had no control over my father's actions and my brother has expressed his deepest condolences at her passing. Not everyone can have shining examples of parents darling, so excuse me if I struggle to understand the concept you have going on here." Shaking her head, Camilla strode forward quickly, her head ducked down slightly as she avoided looking at the pictures. Her chest ached as she tried to choke down her feelings of jealousy; Ryoma spoke of his mother with such compassion, as did he about the late queen. He was lucky to have had two women to mother him when she did not even have one.

Looking after the feisty young woman, the new king frowned slightly, partially irritated at her blasé attitude, partially confused at her failure to understand why the paintings were so dear to him. "We should hurry or we will be late for dinner." He muttered, striding forward quickly so that he was walking alongside her once more.

An awkward silence fell between the pair once more as they walked on, both avoiding the others gaze intently. Moments later they arrived outside of a set of grand wooden doors and with one mighty push from Ryoma they opened, revealing a beautifully laid out table. Several people were already seated, chatting to one another as they waited for the last of their party to arrive. Instantly Camilla spotted a familiar face, sighing in relief, she watched as Corrin spoke animatedly to the young prince of Hoshido; Takumi. Across from the pair sat the eldest princess of the kingdom, Hinoka, who was laughing away at something Azura had said to her. Lastly, Camilla's eyes were drawn to the young princess who was smiling up at a man she had never seen before. As she giggled slightly the peach haired woman brushed a strand of his brown hair aside, looking up at the man lovingly. _Well isn't that interesting, no one informed Xander of this little development._

"There you are! We've been waiting for ages, what took you two so long?" Standing up, Hinoka brushed her scarlet hair out of her eyes. She quickly strode towards the two, throwing her hand out quickly towards Camilla. "I guess we're going to be siblings, welcome to Hoshido."

"Thanks, I...well I apologise for my behaviour towards you in the past, dealing with the fact Corrin no longer needs me so much as he has you was hard to swallow." Smiling slightly, she shook Hinoka's hand. "Looks like you're stuck with me anyway though."

"Let's just start over shall we?" Without waiting for an answer, Hinoka smiled slightly before leading the way over to the table. "Come on, sit down already you two, I'm starving!"

As the pair made their way over to the table Camilla cautiously sat down, waiting for everyone else's reactions. "I was not aware the youngest princess was in a relationship, is it a recent development?"

"Why do you want to know?" His glare piercing, Takumi looked at Camilla warily, his cup half way to his mouth. "I fail to see how it is a concern of yours."

"Sheesh, give her a break Lord Takumi, she's going to be related soon, and you get to marry for love now!" Smiling, Hinata turned to look at Camilla. "I'm Hinata, it's a pleasure to meet you Lady Camilla! I'm Sakura's husband, we've been married since about... a week after the war ended."

"A week after..." Looking over at the other royals a small smirk appeared on her face. "Am I to presume this was your doing Lord Takumi, after all... I seem to remember one of your retainers was called Hinata."

"So what if it is? They love each other and I wasn't about to let Sakura be some pawn in a stupid political game and get married off to one of your brothers." Crossing his arms, he looked deadly serious. "If you Nohrian's have a problem with it then tough."

"Oh on the contrary, I find it highly admirable darling. If my dearest Elise had someone like Sakura does then I'd have got them married off in a flash too. I mean no disrespect to you nor King Ryoma, but I couldn't bear to watch her marry for any reason except love."

"Hmph, well... that is fine then." Looking away quickly, Takumi began to gulp down his drink.

"It's lovely to see you again Camilla, I'm glad it's under more pleasant circumstances." Smiling warmly, Azura lent over the table, pouring the tome wielder a drink. "You look well, and you look beautiful in that kimono."

"Thank you sister, you look well yourself." Taking a sip of the drink, Camilla smiled appreciatively. "As do you brother, it is good to see you again."

"It's great to see you too Camilla, how is Elise?" Turning to look at his older sister, Corrin looked at her, trying to read her expression.

"Oh she was a little worried about me leaving, but she'll be fine, she has Effie and Arthur to care for her after all. Xander and Leo are both well too dearest." Leaning forward, Camilla instantly appeared more at ease as she looked at her brother in all but blood. "How have you been, you haven't met a girl and not told your big sister have you?"

"I...Uhhh... I wouldn't do that Camilla, I have a lot of pressing matters to do with the truce to deal with before I even think of love." Blushing, Corrin looked away slightly, suddenly finding his glass of wine to be extremely interesting.

"I know that look little brother, don't forget I grew up with you dearest, I know all your little tells." Shaking her head, Camilla lent on her hands, looking at Corrin with extreme interest. "I'll let you keep your little secret... for now, but don't forget to introduce me to the lucky lady so I can see if she's good enough for my little brother." Pausing, she smirked. "Of course, if she's not she'll have to deal with me but we can deal with that another day."

As the group continued to talk servants began to slowly make their way over to the table; a plate laden with food in each hand. Without a word to the royals they made quick work of filling the table with a variety of foods. As the last plate was laid down the royals began to carefully help themselves; Ryoma rising to carve the meat.

The Nohrian princess frowned slightly as she looked at the king as he began to slice the meat. It was beyond her comprehension why a king would undertake such a menial task rather than letting the servants do it. For as long as Camilla had been allowed to attend the Nohrian court she had watched as servants completed every menial task; including providing 'light' entertainment for the king and the court. Though admittedly, King Garon's form of entertainment in his later days was watching innocent Hoshidans be cut down while he ripped meat straight from the bone, it was not always so harsh.

Noticing her frown, the youngest member of the table smiled shyly at Camilla. "It's a family tradition that the head cuts the meat, it reminds us to remain humble and think of our subjects who may not even have meat tonight, let alone cut it themselves." Pausing, Sakura looked rather determined, her peach hair dropping into her eyes slightly as she leant forward. "Though we're doing our best to get the kingdom to a place where any of our subjects can eat meat every night should they wish to!"

"Do not bother wasting your breath Sakura, Lady Camilla cares not for tradition, she thinks it all to be outdated and in need of disposal." Slicing another piece of meat, the young king looked clearly irritated as he looked at his bride to be, instantly presuming that she would despise the concept.

"Nonsense my king, I am not sceptical of all traditions, it is a very noble concept, to remember ones subjects when dining. Is there anything that I can do to assist?" Rising slightly, Camilla stared Ryoma down, refusing to back down from the subtle challenge he had made in his biting words.

"There is nothing to be done now, though your offer is duly noted." After slicing the last piece of meat Ryoma sat down once more, looking at the other members of the table. "Before King Xander left he informed me that your retainers will arrive in a week Lady Camilla, we are all to make both of them feel welcome, I am to presume they will be staying on a permanent basis." Pausing, he looked directly at Camilla as he spoke once more. "Though we will discuss the inclusion of a Hoshidan retainer at a later date."

"My retainers are perfectly capable of protecting me regardless of my status thank you very much!" An irritated look appeared on her face as she glared over at Ryoma. "Are you implying Nohrian soldiers are somehow subpar to your Hoshidan ones?"

"Not at all, however the people will see it as a slight against our kingdom if you were to refuse to take even one Hoshidan as a retainer." Serious as ever, Ryoma began to load his plate with food.

"You expect me to bring both retainers here only to let one go?" The princess huffed, taking a sip of her drink. "Neither Beruka nor Selena will cease to be my retainer, the matter is final!"

A silence grew over the table as no one spoke, stunned to silence by the heated glares Camilla and Ryoma gave one another. Looking between the two, Sakura spoke up, albeit nervously. "H-have the two of you spoken about when you are having the wedding?"

"I hardly think it is time for choosing a date, we have only just agreed to be wed after all." With a small frown on his face, Ryoma began to concentrate on his food, blocking the rest of the table out.

"What about you Camilla, have you thought about where you want it held?" Smiling slightly, Azura looked over at the buxom princess.

"I think a-" Before Camilla could even finish her sentence she was quickly cut off.

"It'll be held in the castle of course Sakura, there is no doubt about that, it is tradition for the king and queen to wed inside its walls." Pausing, his brown eyes turned on Camilla, taking in her affronted expression. "Lady Camilla may decide every other detail however, a wedding is the woman's day is it not, and I have no time to plan such a spectacle."

"Brother! Think about your words, this is your wedding too, you should plan it together!" With a disapproving look at her brother, Hinoka shook her head slightly.

"Hinoka is right big brother, it is not right for you to leave it all up to Camilla, a wedding is a union between two souls, it bodes ill for your marriage if you do not unite to plan the big day together." Putting his hand on Hinoka's lower arm, Corrin shook his head slightly as though warning her from starting an argument. "Think on it brother."

"L-Lady Camilla?" A nervous voice spoke up as Sakura turned to her left, looking at the beautiful Nohrian princess. "We had the cutest ceremony, it was quite simple but perfect none the less... if...if you would like I could tell you about it? It may help you think about what you would like..."

As Camilla looked at the timid young girl she could not help but feel reminded of her young sister. While the two were polar opposites in personality, there was something about the delicate young flower in front of her that tugged at the maternal side of her. A smile began to grow as she quickly filled her plate. "I would be honoured to hear about your wedding Lady Sakura, I only wish I could have seen you in your gown with my own eyes."

"I-I'm sorry! It was all so much of a rush that you couldn't possibly have got here in time." Blushing profusely, the young princess had the decency to look embarrassed. "I still have the dress, if you would like to see it...?"

"Oh it simply isn't the same as seeing a blushing bride on her wedding day, I will swallow my disappointment with grace, however I cannot hold you at fault for others actions." Glancing over at Takumi, Camilla smirked slightly. "Though dear, Leo could have transported us almost instantly so you needn't have worried about us not making it on time."

The blush growing on her face with each passing second, Sakura took a bite of her food. "We had the wedding in the castle in view of the courtyard. It was decorated with the most beautiful flowers, and sakura blossom petals were scattered along the aisle. Takumi got the prettiest little lights strung up everywhere too!"

Grinning, Hinata lent towards the two women. "The cake was amazing too, Sakura knows this awesome place that does **the** best cake. It was a beast, six tiers high and everything!"

"Oh my, that does sound rather extravagant doesn't it?" A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes as she looked at the newlyweds. "How was the honeymoon? I'm sure you had a fantastic time judging from how loved up the two of you are."

As Sakura's blush grew even more pronounced the three were interrupted by a loud scraping sound. Quickly looking in the direction of the noise, they watched as Ryoma stepped away from the table. "I have work to do now, so I shall take my leave."

"Let me assist you darling, after all, it's important we get to know one another and it would be beneficial for me to learn more about your kingdom, your work will surely help me do so." Taking another bite of her food, Camilla stood up slightly, picking her plate up as well.

"No. Takumi and Corrin are already well versed in assisting me, there is no need for you to involve yourself in such affairs." Turning to look at his brothers, Ryoma waited for them to stand.

"Nope, sorry brother but I have other matters to attend to." Picking up some more food with his fork, Takumi seemed uninterested with his brother's silent pleas.

"I've got to help Takumi with his important matters, so I'm out too. If I were you I'd take Camilla up on her offer big brother, you'll find she's more helpful than you think." Looking at Ryoma, Corrin smiled slightly, hope clear in his eyes as he waited to see what the king would do next.

Silence filled the air for the umpteenth time that evening as Ryoma wondered what to do. He worked diligently to address all matters as they arose. While he did need the assistance to manage them in a timely matter, he could not be sure of Camilla's competence in matters of the state, and her lack of knowledge on how the kingdom ran would obviously cause some delays for the pair. As he looked around at his siblings however, he could almost read their minds; their eyes pleading with him to take his bride to be with him. "I... I suppose you can assist, though I expect you to make an effort to learn how this kingdom is run, I am sure it will be extremely different from Nohr's methods."

"Don't worry darling, I'm a quick learner." With a wink in his direction she walked over towards him, her plate in hand as she wondered if they would fare any better in a private capacity rather than in a room full of his family. "You'll have to tell me more about your wedding another time Sakura dear, I look forward to it." Looking back to Ryoma, she forced herself not to sigh at his unamused expression. _I guess only time will tell._


	4. Brings Back Memories

**A** **/N: Thank you so much everyone! I was stunned to see so many reviews in such a short space of time, it really inspired me to write this chapter earlier. This week I've put up a M-Corrin poll, so be sure to vote- and if you haven't, vote on Takumi's one too! I'll be bearing all the polls in mind when I come to starting to show other ships. Link - topic/192867/152146701/1/Corrin-Ships**

 **Now, a few responses for you wonderful reviewers!** **Rather than replying to everyone individually this chapter, i'm going to address specific remarks i've had a few times.**

 **Firstly, in regards to Takumi x Elise or any other Hoshido royal with a Nohr royal, from a story standpoint this is not practical and would nullify the entire plot. This fic revolves around the concept of a political marriage to bind the kingdoms, if Elise and Takumi (for example) were to get together, it would void the entire reason for Ryoma and Camilla marrying- as the two wedding would both bind the kingdoms and be for love, thus Ryoma and Camilla would not need to marry. It's also a bit odd in my opinion for you to marry your sister in law, which is what Takumi would be doing. I will however do a TakumixElise story in the future, so look out for that, it most likely won't be until i've done the second chapter of my odinxcorrin fic. If you're looking for a good Elise fic, go check out mystotakun's elise and odin fic (and while your there, his other fef fics).**

 **In regards to which path this is based on, it's based on revelation actually.**

 **And don't worry guys, Ryoma won't be getting over Scarlet unreasonably soon, I want to make as this realistic as possible, it takes time to get over a loss.**

 **Guests, I'd really appreciate it if you could put a name I can reply to you as. It's far more personal and I'll be able to see who's who easier! Even though you don't have an account I'd still like to acknowledge everyone by a proper name and it's lovely to see how many different guests are reviewing then too!**

Quickly striding from the banquet hall, the young king looked dead ahead as he made his way through the hallways. He could vaguely hear the clicking of Camilla's heels on the ground as she kept pace with him much to his surprise. It was not that he was trying to be unkind to the eldest Nohrian princess, he was just unsure as to how to deal with the matter. Of course, he had willingly agreed to marry to unite the kingdoms, but faced with a woman who was so far removed from all that he had wished for in life was more difficult than he could have ever imagined.

For a start there was the physical differences; Camilla could not possibly be any different to Scarlet if she tried; while Scarlet was toned and slim, Camilla was voluptuous, her hair long and curled, a dramatic contrast to the choppy short hair that Scarlet had kept hers in for the majority of the time he had known her. Of course, he could not deny that they both fought in battle with similar instruments, though their manner of doing so was completely different. While Scarlet ordained her armour with glittering gems, Camilla kept hers dark and dramatic looking. Though he would never wish to replace the love of his life he knew that Camilla was not the type of woman he would normally look at twice.

Sighing slightly he realised they had arrived at his study. Pushing the door open, he turned to look at the lilac haired young woman. "After you." A stoic expression on his face, his heart sank as he watched the princess walk in. He had always presumed one day Scarlet would walk through that very door one day, a smile on her face as she came to help him get his work done so that the pair could spend time with one another. That would never happen now, never again would he see her mischievous smile or her eyes shining with joy. He was sure a part of him had died the moment he saw the life fade from her eyes, as though she had taken his heart with him when she left this world.

"This is a pretty fancy place you have here, you like your light colours here don't you? Father's study was always so dark and lifeless." Camilla spoke up, interrupting his train of thought. She stood at the window, looking out at the courtyard. "It's a wonder you get anything done with this view."

"I'm not easily distracted Lady Camilla." Walking over to his desk, the young king sat down and picked up the first of many letters of correspondence. "Sakura loves spending time down there however, so it allows me to keep an eye on her when I am taking a break."

"She reminds me of Elise, of course she's far more timid than my Elise, but she's a delicate flower, I can see why Corrin feels the need to protect her so badly." Smiling slightly, Camilla looked to the left, quickly finding herself entranced by the beautiful garden. "I'll take it the garden was her work as well?"

"That was Mother's. Despite being a queen she still insisted upon going out there and tending to it personally. You could often see her bright red hair amongst the flowers, though since her passing Hinoka has taken it upon herself to maintain its upkeep." Quickly tearing the envelope open, Ryoma began to read the letter. "To your left there is a drawer filled with legislations that have been introduced to the kingdom. It would do you good to look over them, you may presume it to be boring or dull, however it will teach you about how this kingdom works in a sufficient manner."

"Legislation, oh how wonderful!" Rolling her eyes, Camilla walked over to the drawer, pulling out a large folder full of papers. Placing it on the windowsill, she quickly tugged a chair towards the window. "Are you always so serious, surely you let loose every now and then?"

"Being a king comes with a great deal of responsibility, it is my duty to the kingdom to ensure everything is done promptly and for the good of the kingdom." Pulling a blank piece of paper towards him, Ryoma set to work writing a reply to the first letter. "You will understand in time."

"Just because you're king doesn't mean you can't relax and enjoy yourself from time to time." Sighing, Camilla began to read through the top sheet. "Your policies on the criminal justice system are surprising, It's refreshing to see one that doesn't involve killing every guilty party, I'm sure if you showed this to Xander he would find it equally refreshing, perhaps with a gentle nudge you would be able to create a unified system that would exist throughout both kingdoms."

Pausing, Ryoma looked over at Camilla. "Corrin played a large part in the creation of the newest policy, though of course we are having some difficulties with finding suitable locations for a prison for such criminals who pose a danger to society."

With a small smile, Camilla turned to look at the young king. "I think I may know just the place that would facilitate both countries; there is a spot just along the border to the south of the Bottomless Canyon, if Hoshido and Nohr were to pool their resources a joint prison could be created; taking staff from both kingdoms it would show a unified front on the subject of crime and the punishment of such actions." Pausing, Camilla looked back to the papers. "Though of course, it is down to you how you deal with such matters."

"If you believe your brother will be willing to discuss combining our efforts to create a system that will work for both kingdoms on this matter then I shall trust your judgement, you know King Xander far more than I. I shall request Silas arranges a meeting between the two of us post-haste." Going back to his writing, Ryoma once again began to focus on his letters. "Though of course present matters require my attentions first."

"Of course, is there anything I can help you with?" Standing up, Camilla placed the paperwork on the chair before walking over to the desk. Her heels clicked on the wooden flooring as she walked behind the young king, looking at a letter over his shoulder. "It would seem that sending a unit of soldiers would be wise, they'd be able to help rebuild things after a fire of such magnitude, and it would improve morale to see their soldiers getting involved and helping out." She smiled slightly. "I could go for you if it would help darling, Marzia would be able to pick up some of the heavy beams with no trouble at all, and I am rather handy with an axe."

As Camilla's words sank in, Ryoma found himself thinking about the love of his life once more, the Nohrian princess' breath on the back of his neck. Taking a shaky breath, the brunette closed his eyes, thinking back to a similar situation.

*_*_*_*Flashback *_*_*_*

The sky was dark, the camp quiet. While many of the army were asleep, a stream of light was visible from the opening of one camp in particular. The tent was perhaps the largest in the camp, situated in the centre of the settlement of tents. Inside a young man with wild brown hair sat at a desk, a pensive look on his face as he read through a letter. Though he appeared to be the picture of seriousness, the young man was clothed simply in a pair of boxers, the rest of his clothes nowhere to be seen.

As he sat immersed in the letter, a young woman with blonde pixie length hair walked up behind him, gripping a white sheet around her body as she leant towards his ear. "Honestly Ryoma, why don't you just send me? You know I can quell that attack in no time at all, a few Nohrian dogs are a piece of cake!" I'll take on everything they throw at us and give it back tenfold!" A feminine voice remarked, her breath sending shivers down his spine as her arms slid under his, wrapping around his body in a loving embrace.

"I can't Scarlet, you know that." Without a moment's hesitation the young man turned his body towards the petite blonde, pulling her onto his lap and into his arms. "If you were to get hurt it would kill me, to not see your face every day." Bringing his hand up, he rested his palm on her cheek, looking at her lovingly. "You're the best Wyvern rider in the world my love, but I simply cannot take the risk of losing you. I will send Saizo and Kagero instead, they have my absolute trust and will look out for one another."

As the brunette leant towards her, a wide grin appeared on her face. "Closing in for a kiss, huh? Don't mind if I do." Bringing her lips towards his, she met his warm embrace as she kissed him with passion, uncaring of the face the sheet around her body had begun to slip. "I love you Ryoma."

"And I love you Scarlet, forever and always." Wrapping his arms around her, Ryoma picked his lover up bridal style, pulling the tent open a fraction so the pair could look up at the night sky. "We should go back to bed, it is late and the war will wait for none of us my love."

Giggling slightly, Scarlet gently eased his head towards hers, running her hands through his wild hair. "Well then, take me to bed my king and you can show me just how much you love me." With a smirk on her face, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he quickly strode further inside the tent, dropping her gently on the makeshift bed.

"Well..." Ryoma spoke up as he looked at the wyvern rider. "Let us be as one." With one swift motion, the last article of his clothing dropped from his body.

*_*_*_*End Flashback*_*_*_*

Ryoma shot up in a flash, his desk toppling over and crashing to the ground with an almighty thud. His whole body shook as he looked straight ahead, refusing to even look at his future wife. As ink began to spread over the floor, tinging the floor blue, the young king managed to grind out a few words. "G-Get out!" He snapped, trying his hardest to hold back the tears that threatened to flow from his brown eyes; fearing that if he began to cry he would never be able to stop.

"Excuse me?" Clearly confused, Camilla stepped backwards. "Well if my help is so horrifying a prospect then who am I to deny you what you want?" Clearly angry, Camilla looked at him for a moment before quickly turning on her heel and storming out of the study. As the door slammed shut behind her, Ryoma dropped to his knees, a shuddering sob creeping from his mouth as he broke down, no longer holding the tears back.

Walking through the castle, Camilla looked around as she tried to make sense of where she was, having only visited the castle once or twice before. Looking around, she spotted a glass door to her left, leading out onto a small seating area. Frowning slightly, she pushed the door open, revealing a simple yet elegant balcony, with not a soul in sight.

Sighing in relief, the princess sat down, looking out at the view. It was a wonderful view, but her heart ached as she thought about what had just happened. She didn't mean to snap at Ryoma, but she just couldn't understand why he had suddenly snapped at her, she had thought that they were making progress when he agreed to discuss crime and punishment with Xander, but obviously she had been mistaken.

Camilla knew it was hard for the new king, not only did he have to deal with all the pressures of ruling a kingdom, but she knew he was still mourning. That did not mean he had to take it out on the people around him, after all he was not the only one suffering with the decision of entering a marriage for duty. It was not like she had never been in love, she had experienced love that burned with the sheer passion; but in the end duty had won out, it was not only unseemly for her to be romantically entangled with her younger brothers retainer, but it was impractical and would do nothing to improve the view of the Nohrian royalty were she to have married a thief.

Of course she had been crushed when she had to choose between the man she had fallen for and her duty to the kingdom but she knew she had done what was right for the country; now the two kingdoms would be bonded in the more intimate way possible. Niles would find love once again, she knew that for sure, he would marry a nice girl and live his life out without having to worry about what kind of impression he gave the kingdom. But still, she could not help but wish that she could see him one last time, to run her fingers through his long white hair one last time, to kiss each and every scar over his body. 

She knew it was impossible though, not only would it be unfair on her future husband, but he was in a completely different country serving her younger brother. The best Camilla could hope for was that he wouldn't choose to date her retainers, or good heavens, her sister. Sighing slightly, the voluptuous woman put her head in her hands as she watched the setting sun.

"L-Lady Camilla?" A voice called out shyly, drawing her out of her thoughts. "A-Are you okay? I thought you were helping big brother with his work?" 

"Oh! Sakura darling, I didn't expect for anyone to find me out here." Forcing a smile, she patted the seat next to her. "Why don't you sit down? Your brother decided he no longer desired my help and so he insisted I leave, I'm afraid I don't quite know my way around, so it wasn't possible for me to go back to my chambers."

"He did? I'm so sorry, he's not usually like this, but ever since Scarlet died he's been beyond despair." Sitting down beside the older woman, Sakura looked notably worried. "He doesn't mean what he says, big brother's just hurting so badly and he doesn't know how to deal with it." Looking down, Sakura sniffed slightly. "I... I don't know how to help him, but I really want to."

"Sometimes it just takes time to heal. I may not have had the man I love die, but I still know what it feels like to have suffered loss. In court, I grew to love many siblings other than the ones you know, but due to cruel games they were ripped away from me too soon. At one time my mother had a young child after seducing my father into bed once more, but another of his consorts felt this would give her too strong a hold over my father and as such they had him killed, they claimed it was cot death but it clearly was not." Frowning, Camilla sighed slightly as she looked at the young woman. "Life in the Nohr courts was a far cry from the cherished life you led here, I do envy the way your brother spoke of your mother." Realising she was going off topic, she smiled, placing her hand on Sakura's arm. "I apologise, the point is, over time we learn to deal with our losses and live with them, though they will always remain with us in our hearts." 

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't realise that Nohr was so...so harsh. I've heard stories from Corrin about it being difficult, but he never mentioned how bad it truly was there under King Garon's rule." The young girl looked embarrassed as she looked at the lilac haired woman. "Thank you Lady Camilla, I know it can't have been easy for you to share that with me."

"Don't worry about it dearest, you remind me of my little Elise, I just can't bear to see her sad." Looking out at the view once more, a true smile appeared on her face. "Please Sakura, you don't need to call me lady, after all we'll be sisters one day soon. I'd like it if you could feel comfortable enough to come to me if you have a problem and you cannot talk to your siblings, or about girl things, I know your sister isn't the most girly of women." 

"I...I'd really like that C-Camilla!" Smiling in excitement, Sakura perked up noticeably. "I'd like it if you could talk to me about things too, I know it won't be easy, marrying my brother, but I want you to feel welcome here."

"Oh aren't you just the cutest little sweetheart I've ever seen, you rival my Elise with that adorable blush darling!" Smiling, she leant towards the younger woman. "It's settled then! Of course, when I wed your brother you'll be a bridesmaid with Elise for me won't you?"

Blushing profusely, Sakura nodded slightly. "Oh of course I will if you want me to!" Pausing, Sakura bit her lip as she looked at Camilla. "Would you like to go cake tasting with me? Brother's always busy and I know the best place for cakes, we used them for my wedding cake and everyone loved it."

"I'd love to darling, if you would be so kind as to book an appointment for the two of us then we can make a day of it." Smiling, she kissed Sakura on the cheek, a bright smile on her face. "Thank you Sakura, now... would you be able to show me around some? I'd hate to get lost in this expansive castle."


	5. Brother We Need to Talk

**A/N: Seen as I'm already in the process of writing chapter 7 I thought I might as well post chapter 5 tonight! Chapter 6 will come on Sunday, and posting will go back to every Sunday unless I suddenly write my way through the chapters quicker than anticipated!**

 **Thanks again for the reviews guys! But please, vote for the ships via the polls- if you do it in reviews I can't tell if you've voted as well, so I can't take the review ships into account as it makes it unfair! Obviously if you're a guest I'll understand that you can't vote on polls, but please don't take advantage of this.**

 **Hobo Ghost- I really appreciate your reviews each chapter, it makes me happy to see you're sticking with it! I feel sad about the predicament Camilla's in too.**

 **Kat- Thanks for the review, as for your question, you'll just have to wait and see I'm afraid, I can't go spoiling the fic can I haha?**

 **This week the poll is for Hinoka's ships, so get voting away! Link is here -** **topic/192867/152147960/1/Hinoka-Ships**

The sky was a bright blue, not a cloud in sight as small white figures moved through the sky. From a distance it was hard to work out what they were, simply little dots weaving up and down, left and right. Members of the castle however knew instantly that the sky knights were in the middle of their daily training routine, ran by the eldest princess Hinoka. In the sky she thrived, weaving through the other knights with ease. Her skill was hard won with daily rigorous training regimes and even longer grooming times of her Pegasus. While sky knights often cared for their own Pegasus, none had done so with such vigour and determination as Hinoka.

In the blink of an eye the red haired princess flew towards the ground, quickly landing her Pegasus. Smiling slightly, she carefully pushed herself off her mount, stepping forwards slightly to stroke her mane. "You did wonderfully today Shiida, let's get you some hay and water before I find brother."

The horse whinnied, turning her head to look at her master. Though they had a difficult relationship at first, after much persistence from Hinoka the pair became a dangerous foe, extremely agile, with superb precision. It was these skills that earnt Hinoka the position of leader of the sky knights, a position she was extremely proud of. "I know, don't you worry Shiida, I'll whip that idiot into shape in no time!" The young woman responded, as though she knew exactly what her steed was thinking.

Guiding the creature to the stables, the fiery princess took great care in gathering exactly what he precious partner would need, from hay and water to a brush to run through her silky mane. "We'll have to find a separate stable for Camilla's dragon of course, I doubt you'd play nicely with it would you?"

Almost immediately the Pegasus shook her head quickly, making a neighing sound. Laughing loudly, Hinoka quickly set to work caring for Shiida, brushing her mane, checking her hooves and ensuring she was in tip top condition. Eventually, the young woman sighed, looking at her steed. "I better get going before Brother goes into hiding, you know what he's been like recently." Kissing Shiida on the forehead, Hinoka gave the Pegasus one final stroke before she made her way out of the stables.

Brushing off her uniform, a grim expression began to spread across her face, she had been hoping to avoid doing this, but it seemed that her brother would never take the initiative if she did not give him a not so gentle prod in the right direction. Sure, she and Camilla had not seen eye to eye in the war- for the longest time they both believed that Corrin could only have one big sister, but over time Hinoka grew to realise that the Nohrian princess was not as put together as she liked the world to think. She could not help but feel sorry for the woman; having been thrust into a completely different culture without a friend to help her out. It infuriated Hinoka to see how cold Ryoma had been acting towards his future bride, but she knew it was not his intention.

As she walked up the stairs to the castle she smiled, Sakura had been making sure to spend time with Camilla each day, and it warmed her heart to see her younger sister putting in such an effort to make the dragon rider feel welcome. She wished she could do the same, but at the moment it seemed that it was wisest for her to focus on convincing her brother to be more courteous towards the young woman.

There was no way that the merger could fail; if the marriage ended badly it would spell disaster for the treaty between Nohr and Hoshido, it could escalate to another war. While she knew that was the last thing her brother would want to happen, she knew that he was not thinking straight, the consequences of his failure to act and ensure the success of his future marriage were out of his mind as he continued to mourn for the woman he loved.

It was up to her now, she could not ask Takumi to help push their elder brother into taking the appropriate actions, he had far too much going on as he fought hard alongside Corrin to bring the country to a more prosperous place. She knew it was not easy for her brothers, all three were working diligently to bring the kingdom into a stronger place than ever before, but it was times like this that she wished there was more she could do.

Walking down the corridor towards Ryoma's study, she hoped that the two men were faring well, having travelled to the Wind Tribe village to broker a treaty to allow the small tribe to have a more secure bond with Hoshido. Laughing slightly to herself, she just hoped that the two boys would avoid another political marriage; one was far too much hassle without adding another.

Arriving outside her brother's study, Hinoka paused for a moment, taking a deep breath as she prepared herself for the difficult decision that was to come. Steeling herself, she quickly pushed open the door and briskly walked in, much to her brother's surprise. "Brother we need to talk." She remarked abruptly, looking intently at the brunette man.

"Sister, this is a surprise, how can I assist you?" Without even looking up at her Ryoma spoke in a lacklustre manner, continuing to read through a long letter in front of him.

"How can you assist me?" Hinoka shook her head as she quickly took a seat opposite him, a small frown on her face. "This isn't about me Ryoma, it's about you." Pausing, she crossed her legs. "Have you even tried getting to know Lady Camilla? She's been here nearly a week now brother, and I've yet to see any indication you are treating her like your fiancée and bride to be."

"There are more pressing matters at hand than indulging in taking time away from work to talk to the princess Hinoka, we may be out of war but it does not mean that we are not still dealing with the aftermath." Pulling a piece of paper towards himself, Ryoma began to pen a reply to his letter.

"More pressing matters than securing the peace between Hoshido and Nohr? Ryoma you need to tread carefully with this matter, if you are to treat Camilla poorly, or are to neglect the preparations then King Xander may feel that you are being disrespectful and withdraw any chance of peace between the two kingdoms. I know you are struggling with your personal feelings right now, but you cannot neglect this." Sighing, Hinoka leant forward as she looked at her brother. "If you cannot do this we can contact the king and I will take your place and marry for the kingdom."

"Absolutely not! I will not allow you to do such a foolish thing. I have given my word that I will wed Lady Camilla, I do not intend to go back on my word." Sighing, Ryoma looked up, putting his pen down as he looked at his sister. "What do you expect me to do Hinoka, I am doing the best that I can."

"I know brother, and I understand, truly I do, but you must know how vital it is that this marriage goes well." Sighing, she ran her fingers through her short hair as she closed her eyes, trying to work out how to word her thoughts. "When are you going to give Camilla Mother's ring Brother? It would be unseemly for her to go without an engagement ring much longer, and I know you have it."

"I have no intention to give Lady Camilla mother's engagement ring Sister." A frown on his face, Ryoma folded his arms as he watched his sister's expression grow more infuriated with each second.

"You what?! Brother how could you be so unfeeling? I know this is not the ideal situation, but she is to be your bride, it is only right that you give her mother's ring, she would have wanted you to give it her." Quickly jumping to her feet, Hinoka looked enraged. "I know you still mourn for Scarlet but this is ridiculous; you are being cruel and heartless towards Lady Camilla and I will not watch you continue to do so, you **will** give her that ring!"

Standing up himself, Ryoma walked over to the window, looking out of it with a solemn expression. "I do not have it Hinoka, what would you have me do, steal from the dead? Yes, Camilla will be my queen but I will not stoop to such levels to keep the pair of you happy, another ring will have to suffice."

"Steal from the dead? Don't lie to me Ryoma, I know father gave you mother's engagement ring after she passed, it was not buried with her! Why do you insist on acting like this, it isn't you." Looking away, Hinoka held back her tears as she thought about her mother. The young woman was usually so calm and put together, but it was in moments like this that she missed her mother more than words could express. She knew that she would have dealt with the situation far better than Hinoka ever could, as would have Lady Mikoto.

"I am not referring to mother Hinoka, the ring is buried with another." Closing his eyes, Ryoma thought back to a happier time. "In the middle of the war I took Scarlet to the highest point of Hoshido..."

*_*_*_*Flashback*_*_*_*

The sun had just begun to set, the sky a dusky orange as two individuals stood atop a hill, looking out at the world. The sound of battle had faded away with the darkening of the sky, making way for the gentle chirping of crickets, the cooing of birds as they settled down to their nest and the rustling of the leaves as wildlife began to move about. A young man and woman stood at the highest point of Hoshido, overlooking the kingdom as they stood in silence, hand in hand.

"One day this is going to be your kingdom, I just know you'll lead it into a brilliant place full of prosperity and peace." The young woman smiled as she looked over to her lover, leaning up to kiss him gently. "I can't wait to see it my king."

"You have too much faith in me." With a small smile, the swordsman brought his arms around her, pulling the freckled woman closer towards him. "I...I do not know what I would do without you Scarlet, you give me hope, you keep me strong and even in our darkest days you are my ray of light."

"Oh now you're just trying to make me blush aren't you?" Laughing lightly, Scarlet's nose crinkled as she looked at the muscular young man. "Getting all sentimental on me are you, first you bring me way out here, now you're telling me you can't live without me, anyone would think you're proposing!"

"I...Ahem... well... this is certainly not faring how I expected it to." Lowering himself down onto one knee, the usually calm and collected prince fumbled about, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small black box. "I intended this to be far more put together than this, but you are everything I want in this life, I do not want to go even a moment without you. When this war is over I want to rule this kingdom with you by my side, Scarlet. Will you be my queen, my confidant, my most treasured person in this world... will you do me the honour of being my wife?"

Her brown eyes widened as she took in the sight in front of her, surprisingly silent for a moment as she looked down at her lover. Taking a deep breath in, she smiled slightly. "Well that was a rather slapdash proposal wasn't it?" Laughing, she nodded, dropping to her knees in front of him. "Of course I'll marry you Ryoma, now dish up the shiny!"

Laughing slightly, the prince quickly opened the lid of the ring box, revealing a beautiful ring fit for a queen. "I hope this is sufficient, if it is not I can get you another."

"Sufficient? It's the prettiest thing I've ever seen! Where on Earth did you get it, especially at such a time like this." Quickly pulling the ring out the box, Scarlet tugged off her armour, slipping the ring onto her now naked finger, holding it out in front of herself.

"It was my mother's, after she passed Father handed it on to me, he told me to give it to the woman I loved more than anything else in this world, to my future queen, wife and mother of my children." Blushing slightly, Ryoma carefully removed his headpiece, placing it on the ground next to him. "I hope that you will be all of those things one day, I know both Mother and Father would have loved you dearly, and you will be a queen that will make the whole of Hoshido proud."

Smiling widely, Scarlet wrapped her arms around the man's neck, kissing him passionately. "I love you Ryoma, I love you so much!"

"And I love you, I promise as soon as this war is over we will have the grandest wedding you want, the whole world will know my love for you." Kissing her back, Ryoma smiled warmly. "I wish it could be so now, but if people were to know it would only make you more of a target, my priority is keeping you safe, nothing will harm you my fiancée."

*_*_*_*Flashback End*_*_*_*

"I could not bring myself to take the ring when she died, it will always belong to her, the woman who should have been queen of these lands." Sighing, Ryoma looked back to his sister, surprised to see a tear fall from her brown eyes as she looked at him with a worried expression. Though Hinoka cried often as a child, ever since Corrin was taken away the young woman had hardened, concealing her emotions and acting as a pillar of strength for her siblings and fellow sky knights. To see her cry touched him, and he knew that at last, she understood the truth depth of his love for Scarlet.

"I-I'm so sorry brother, I didn't know!" Walking over to him, Hinoka threw her arms around her older brother, pulling him into a tight hug despite his copious armour. "Why did you never say, we could have been here for you more, she was to be my sister-in-law, you know I would have given you my blessing, Scarlet was a brave woman, far braver than I."

Sighing slightly, the young king pulled his sister closer to him, placing one hand on the back of her head. "I did not wish to trouble any of you, there is enough going on, I cannot allow myself to get caught up in my emotions at such a delicate time. Now speak Sister, I sense you have more to say about my engagement with Princess Camilla."

Letting go of her brother, she sniffed slightly as she wiped her tears away. "You still need to get her a ring, I understand you cannot give her Mother's, and I know Corrin was given Lady Mikoto's ring for when he wishes to wed, so I think you should contact a ring maker and get one specially made. I am sure if you send Lady Elise a letter she will be able to best guide you on what the princess likes, and it will show great thought to King Xander, that you are creating a one of a kind piece with thought to her wishes."

Nodding slightly, Ryoma walked back to his seat, quickly pulling a fresh piece of paper towards himself. "I shall write it straight away if it shall please you Sister. Is there anything else?"

"A party." Sitting back down, the sky knight looked determined. "I know you feel it will hardly be suitable given your losses, but a party would both raise the spirits of the kingdom and announce your impending marriage to the kingdom. Of course the royals of Nohr should be invited, as well as important delegates within both kingdoms. It would give a show of unity between our kingdoms too, and would be a morale booster for the public."

Silent for a moment, Ryoma scratched the back of his head as he looked at his sister. "I understand your reasoning's Sister, but I simply do not have the time to arrange such a large feat. Unless you are volunteering to arrange it I simply do not believe we will be able to have one, I am stretched to my limit as it is."

His sister looked at him silently for a moment, thinking about what he had said for a moment. "I will... on one condition."

"Name it and I will see what I can do Sister, I will do my utmost to please you." Picking his pen up once more, he looked up at his sister as he waited to hear what she would say.

"Talk to Camilla. This is incredibly difficult for her too, and I know you will not be marrying for love, but the both of you deserve a marriage that is amenable, get to know her Ryoma, make friends with her, I am not asking you to love her, but for the sake of the pair of you, you need to find a way to have a successful and caring marriage." A frown on her face, Hinoka waited with baited breath, wondering how her brother might react.

Looking at his sister, questions raced through his mind. Had he really done so bad a job of welcoming Camilla that his sister had to resort to begging him to treat her well? He supposed he could have been nicer to her, and after all, he had still not apologised for his outburst several days ago. He knew she could not have possibly known what memories she had brought up, but the prospect of discussing it with her chilled him to the bone, he did not feel ready to talk of such personal matters with a woman he barely knew. Looking at his sister's face however, he knew she was right, and that he could not possibly deny her. "I will try my hardest Sister, though it may take time."

A bright smile on her face, she leant over the table, kissing him on the cheek. The young king found himself taken aback by his sister's out of character action. "I'll get started on the party right away, and don't worry brother, all good things take time!"


	6. Taste Testing

**A/N: Thanks again for the reviews guys! Hobo-Ghost, keep reviewing with your votes and my partner will use a spare account he has to put your votes on the poll.**

 **Guests, don't forget you can still review with your votes.**

 **This week it's Azura's poll – link here: topic/192867/152269236/1/Azura-Ships**

After several hours of travelling via carriage, Camilla and Sakura were thankful that their journey was almost at an end. Looking out, the pair watched as they flew through lush green forests and beautiful fields filled with flowers of all colours. The Nohrian princess smiled, throughout all her life she had seen the world as horrific, the only beautiful things were her bonds with her siblings. But now, looking out over the Hoshidan kingdom, she could not help but feel happy as she looked at all that the kingdom had to offer. Now the war was over she could live her life without worrying about what her father would think, and as she looked out at the Hoshidan countryside she could not help but feel Nohr would feel much more welcoming if they were to create places that showcased the country's unique beauty.

"I must say Sakura, your kingdom is just beautiful, I would love to see more of it, do your royalty go on tours to check progress? Father used to, though I must admit his definition of a tour of Nohr was burning rebellions to the ground and making sure everything was battle ready to fight." Sighing slightly, the lilac haired young woman rested her head on her hands, looking out at the sights.

"Oh Father used to do that too, but I have no idea when big brother will have his first tour, there's a lot of things going on, but when everything's settled down I'm sure he'll get one sorted!" Smiling, Sakura walked over, looking out the window with the older woman. "I'm sure when he does you'll be going too, the pair of you will be wed by then after all."

"It sounds so daunting when you say it like that darling." Laughing slightly, Camilla turned to look at the young woman. "I hope you'd be coming along though darling, being alone with your brother is a daunting prospect at the moment, and I do not get the impression the king would appreciate the sights like you and I."

"Oh but Ryoma's always looking at the kingdom and saying how beautiful it is! I know he seems cold and distant right now, but he's a really good guy once you get to know him, nothing's more important than the well-being of the kingdom to him." Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she smiled up at Camilla.

"I'm sure he's just lovely to you darling, but it'll take a long time for the pair of us to be comfortable around one another." Pausing, Camilla gripped hold of the window frame as the carriage came to a grinding halt. "You better lead the way, we have lots of cake to try after all."

A beaming smile appeared on Sakura's face as she all but threw the door open, excited at the prospect of eating as much cake as she pleased. "I just know you're going to find the flavour you want here, they do the best cakes ever! Once we pick a flavour you can take some back and show brother, that's bound to get you two talking about the wedding ...right?"

As the two women quickly walked out the carriage the elder looked around, taking in the sights of the quaint little town. The town appeared to be thriving, flowers strategically planted in beds and tubs, quaint houses placed in nice neat rows. In the centre of the town stood a large apple tree, it appeared to be the focal point to many people who looked on fondly at it as they walked by. "The bakers use the apples from the tree to make the best apple pies and cakes. I'm sure we'll get to taste some later." With a small smile, Sakura led the way through the streets, looking around happily. "If we move quickly we can get inside before people start realising who we are, this town's ever so peaceful, but avoiding the attention is always best."

Without further ado the two women made their way down the road. Looking around, Camilla could not help but feel amazed at the differences between their two cultures, she knew it was a thought that had been on her mind a lot, but it hit home to the young woman even more so in such a natural environment. The people seemed happier; something she dearly hoped her elder brother could one day replicate in Nohr now that her father's tyranny was over.

Stepping inside the bakery, her senses went into overdrive, a variety of smells wafting towards her as she looked round at all the colourful cake displays. She could already tell that she would be spoilt for choice, from flavour and texture to the final design of the cake. A smile creeping upon Camilla's face, she turned to look at Sakura. "Oh this little place looks simply adorable, what was your cake like?"

"It was white, four tiered with flowers in various shades of pinks on it, it was a lot better than my description though." Pausing, the young woman smiled brightly. "It tasted amazing too."

"Welcome Princess Sakura, it is good to see you again so soon." A voice called out as a man clothed in white quickly walked over to the two women. As he got closer his eyes widened, realising who the other woman was. "A-And Princess Camilla of Nohr, what a surprise! If you will just follow me I will lead you to our finest room, while you wait for the samples I will pour some of our finest sake for you to enjoy."

The two women quickly followed the baker into one of the back rooms. Taking a seat, Camilla looked over at the man with a sceptical expression. "I sincerely hope that you are able to keep this meeting discreet. We require your finest cakes to test, think fit for a royal wedding." Pausing at his shocked expression, she smirked slightly. "There is no date yet, but we do hope you will keep yourself available to make the wedding cake when the time is decided...So long as word does not get out before it is announced of course."

"C-Camilla be nice!" Blushing, Sakura bowed her head as she looked at the baker. "I-I'm sorry! Camilla and King Ryoma are to be wed, but until it's announced we really need you to keep it a secret!"

"Congratulations Princess Camilla, Hoshido will be lucky to have such a beautiful queen." Ducking his head, he quickly poured two drinks, before making his way out of the room.

Taking a sip, Camilla's eyes widened slightly as she took in the texture and taste of the alcohol. "Well this is rather... interesting." Putting the cup down, she looked at Sakura. "So, I'm right in thinking your wedding has yet to be announced? Is there any news on when it will be, the longer you wait to do it the more unfavourably Hoshido's allies will look on it."

"I'm not sure... Big Brother's been really busy recently, maybe it'll be announced the same time your impending wedding will be?" Pushing the small cup away, Sakura looked at Camilla. "Have you thought about what you want in the wedding?"

"I can't say a wedding is something I ever thought about darling, until this week I had no plans to marry for a long time." Laughing slightly, the lilac haired woman took another sip of her sake. "But plans change... I'd really appreciate your help in all this Sakura, I'm not familiar with any of the places here, so I'd have to import everything from Nohr if I had to do it alone, and I doubt Nohrs customs would fare well here."

"Oh of course, I'd love to help!" The young woman paused, fidgeting with her hair. "I only ever saw Nohr when we were fighting, I was young when Father died so I never saw it on any royal visits either, is it very different to here?"

"Absolutely, for a start our home tree appears far more dark and barren than yours, and everything has been designed with a darker air to it in my opinion; perhaps it was always like that, or maybe it is just my father's design." Smiling slightly, she looked at the young woman. "Our food and methods of preparing it are far different to yours as well; we grow cattle and harvest various things from it, such as meat and milk. I've noticed rice is used a lot here, but in Nohr it is something most of our subjects know nothing about, our staple food is bread from the wheat we grow."

"The food's that different? I'd love to try the foods you grew up with, it seems rather unfair that you have to adjust to all these new things; food, clothing, customs, yet we have to adjust to nothing for you." Sakura looked noticeably upset as she looked down, thinking about the Nohrian's words. "M-Maybe I can talk to Brother, it... it's not fair that you don't have any home comforts here, if I were in your position I don't think I could cope."

"I'm willing to adjust for the sake of my kingdom and dearest Elise. In truth, it is not the food nor the clothing that I miss the most, it is my darling little sister and my loyal retainers." Sighing, she took another sip of her sake. "Beruka and Selena will be here soon enough though, and that should make me feel more at ease, we have never been apart for so long until now."

"I think Subaki and Hana would go spare if they were apart from me for even a day, your retainers must be anxious to get here to you." Smiling slightly, she put her hand on Camilla's. "D-Don't worry, if you need anything you can talk to me, and you're more than welcome to ask my retainers for help until yours come. I heard Ryoma had delegated Kagero to you until they get here though, she's really nice when you get to know her."

"Oh I know, the poor dear misses Orochi dearly, I wrote to my brother requesting he release her from duty and send her with my retainers. She was equally as upset to be away from her friend, I just can't allow them to be separated any longer." Smiling slightly, she looked at Sakura. "So dear, tell me all about your wedding, I'd love to hear all about it."

"Well it was very quick, but we got everything together in time luckily! There's a sakura tree that Mother planted when I was born, so we held the wedding in the gardens beneath it. It was really important mother could be there in some way, and I wore jewellery both of mothers and Lady Mikoto's... Corrin actually gave me one of her necklaces, I wear it every day." Pulling a thin chain from round her neck, she revealed a beautiful yet delicate silver necklace, small diamonds ordaining it. "Oboro worked on this wonderful dress, it was modest and classic, Mother would have loved it."

"It sounds so quaint darling, I'm sure you took Hinata's breath away when he saw you." Smiling, she looked at the young woman in silence for a moment. "How is married life then, Father had separate rooms to his brides, is it like that here?"

"Mother and Father had a room each but shared with one another most nights, unless one of us was ill." She blushed slightly, quickly looking away from the older woman. "Hinata and I share a room, we didn't see the point in wasting two rooms, but I'm sure Brother will give you your own room."

"You share a room huh? I'm guessing it's going well for you two then." Camilla winked, a small smirk on her face as she looked at the younger woman. "Should I expect a future niece or nephew sometime soon then?"

The reaction was instantaneous, Sakura's face grew redder than a strawberry as she looked at Camilla, her eyes wide as saucers. "I...I... well I…"

Laughing, Camilla reached over and patted the young woman's hand. "I'm only playing about Sakura, there's no need to get so hot and bothered about it. There's no rush to start popping children out, don't let anyone make you think otherwise, just enjoy the time where it's just you and Hinata."

"Y-Yeah, you're right..." The blush still burning brightly on her face, Sakura looked around as the door opened, a smile quickly growing across her lips as she watched several people bring in a wide variety of cakes, each with their own unique tastes and appearances. "Ooh they look amazing as always! Which one should we try first Camilla?"

"Maybe we should let them put the cakes on the table before we start deciding which to dive into." Laughing slightly, she muttered her thank you to the staff, watching as they silently made their way out of the room. Looking at the variety of cakes, Camilla carefully pulled one towards her, using her fork to break off a small piece. "Sakura... why are you being so nice, after everything that went on during the war, and my father took your father from you... you'd have every right to hate me. I just don't understand why you're helping me.

"Don't be silly!" Sakura declared, mustering up her courage as she looked at the Nohrian princess. "That was your father's actions, not yours. You shouldn't be blamed for the actions of others Camilla, it just wouldn't be right and I wouldn't be a very nice person if I judged you based on who you're related to." Smiling, she used her own fork to break off a piece of cake. "Besides, I think you're a lovely person." Blushing lightly, she quickly put the piece of cake in her mouth before she could say anything else.

"Sakura..." A warm smile spread across Camilla's face as she looked at the young woman. "Hinata's very lucky to have such a kind and compassionate wife." Eating the piece of cake, she smiled slightly. "That was so much sweeter than the cakes we have at home!"

"I-Is that a bad thing?" Biting her lip slightly, Sakura looked worried as she waited for Camilla's answer with bated breath, hoping she had taken her to the right place.

"No, it's a great thing! I love bon bons, and I may not have a gigantic sweet tooth but it tasted delicious." Smiling, Camilla swapped the plate for another one. "We might be here all day if they're all that good." She paused for a moment. "Sakura... would you tell me about the woman Ryoma loved?"

"About Scarlet?" Her eyes widened as she looked over at the lilac haired woman. "W-Why do you want to know about her?"

"I'd like to know the kind of woman who swept his heart away, and perhaps if I know more about her I can avoid upsetting your brother like I did a few days ago." A compassionate look began to spread across the Nohrian princess' face as she looked down at Sakura. "We are going to be wed after all, I don't want to say something that will upset him more, it's bad enough for him that he's lost her, never mind me rubbing salt into the wound."

"Well... she was really nice, Scarlet was a wyvern rider, and she used an axe like you do, but she always added her own touch to it. I used to see her collecting gems, and her armour always glistened with them when we went out to battle." Sighing, the young girl looked down. "I never really noticed how close she was to Ryoma, but she'd always have a smile on her face when talking to him, and she used to go help him with all his work."

"So that's why he went mad, if they were lovers she probably used to look over his shoulder all the time." Looking at the cake, Camilla frowned. "I should apologize to him, if I had of known it would stir up bad memories I would never have done it. He may presume me to be cold and heartless, but that's only when someone wrongs those I love..."

"I'm sure he'll understand, this is difficult on the both of you." Smiling reassuringly, Sakura rested her hand on Camilla's forearm as she looked at the older woman. "We'll get some more samples of the cake we pick and you two can have a nice talk over the cake, just tell him what you've told me and I'm sure big brother will understand!"

"I certainly hope so darling." With a slight sigh, Camilla took another bite of cake, Oboro's words echoing through her mind. _Lord Takumi is sure that he'll never love again, King Ryoma doesn't give his heart away easily, and he was always so dedicated to her._ As she thought about the spear master's words Camilla frowned slightly, knowing that if she wanted to make her future marriage a success she had an awful lot of work to do, starting with getting the young king to speak to her once more.


	7. Mending Bridges

**A/N: This week it's Elise's time for the polls! Vote here - topic/192867/152391652/1/Elise-ships**

 **Thanks everyone again for reviews, faves, follows and just reading! It means a lot to me. Just to clarify, Corrin is a male. I've started closing polls once they've been up for a week, so you'll start to see the start of other ships soon enough.  
Unique – thank you very much, I am intending to do more about her family concerns, though of course I don't want to make things feel forced. **

**Sorry for the lack of updates last week, my grandad was ill and I had to take him to hospital, and then i've just started a new job so i've found myself with less free time. So please bear with me, I may be slower at updating.**

By the time the two young women returned to the castle the sky was darkening, many of the towns residents had already retired for the night to cook dinner for their families, enjoying the peace and quiet. The residents of the carriage however were another story; the two women laughed loudly as Sakura tried to catch her breath, clearly in the middle of telling a story. "A-And then mother turned to big brother, and with an ever so serious look on her face she t-told him that if he cut his hair again it would bring about all these monsters that would spirit him away for being so naughty." Giggling, she covered her mouth slightly. "Hinoka thinks thats why he and Takumi won't cut their hair really!"

"I...I never knew your brothers were so gullible! When I was younger Elise's nanny, Cassita, she used to tell her that if she didn't eat her vegetables a mage would come along and turn her into a steak and get given to me and Leo." Laughing slightly, the young woman sobered as she realised what she had said. "Looking back that was quite a horrifying thing to say to a four year old child though."

"You- You think?" The young priestess stepped out the carriage, nearly toppling out as she tried to hold back her laughter. "Come on, if we don't hurry big brother will be in bed and you'll be stuck!"

"Stuck? Oh honey I could always crawl into bed with him and then we won't even need to get a plate!" Smirking slightly, the buxom woman quickly made her way out of the carriage, a square box in her hands as she followed the young priestess into the castle.

"C-C-Camilla!" Gasping, Sakura stumbled slightly as she looked aghast, horrified at the Nohrian beauties boldness. "Y-You wouldn't!"

"Oh I don't know, I've got to admit your brother would be quite a looker if you could ever see him past the armour and that crazy hair." Laughing, she placed her free hand on Sakura's arm. "Don't worry, I'll play nice."

"G-Good, I really hope you two can sort things out, I'm sure he'll like the cake too, that should soften him up some!" Smiling, Sakura carefully wrapped her arms around Camilla, leaning into the woman's warmth. After a moment or two she let go, stepping away. "Good luck Camilla, I better go and find my husband." Blushing slightly as she looked at the smirk growing on Camilla's face, she quickly made her way down the corridor and out of the Malig knight's sight.

Walking down the corridor Camilla looked around, wondering where the king could possibly be. There was no one in the banqueting hall, dinner would have been long gone, but the Nohrian princess managed to pick up a plate and fork, quickly transferring a slice to it. She had not been there long enough to know the swordmaster's routine, so she could only hope that he went to his study every night; though of course once they were wed she hoped he would not be holed up in there all the time. Her heels clicked on the ground as she walked towards the study, one of the first places she had asked Sakura to help her find regardless of where in the castle she was coming from.

Coming to a halt outside of the door, Camilla took a deep breath. She had to make this work, no matter how hesitant or resistant Ryoma may be; not only for the sake of her sanity, but for the sake of the people she loved more than anything else in the world. Raising her hand, she quickly knocked on the door, waiting with bated breath for a reply.

"Come in." A familiar voice called, and Camilla smiled slightly, glad that she had found him so quickly. Opening the door, she smiled warmly at the young man who was yet again hunched over a stack of paperwork. Ignoring his look of confusion, she quickly made her way over to his desk, placing the plate on the only free part of the desk before sitting down in the seat opposite him. "What... What is this Camilla?"

"It's the cake for our wedding, Sakura and I went to that quaint little bakery she got her cake from, I wanted to bring you back a piece to get your opinion." Adjusting her kimono slightly, Camilla crossed her legs as she watched him, waiting for his reaction impatiently.

Picking up the fork, he slowly tried the cake, a small smile gracing his lips as he savoured the taste. "I am sure the guests will love it, but how can you book a cake with no date?"

"The bakery have kindly promised to keep a slot open until we settle the date, he said it'd be a pleasure to make the cake for 'the biggest wedding of the decade'. It'll be good publicity for them I suppose." Leaning forwards slightly, Camilla looked over at her fiance. "Though we really do need to decide when we'll start planning this wedding darling."

"That kind of talk is for another time." Pausing, Ryoma looked at the cake for a moment before pushing it away, folding his arms as he looked back to Camilla. "I...I would like to apologize for my actions the other day, it was unfair of me to yell at you when you were only trying to help, I hope that in time you can forgive me."

"Don't worry about it darling, I'm not one to hold onto petty little grudges. What's done is done, so lets just forget about it huh?" Pausing, a serious look appeared on her face as she looked at the young king. "I'm not expecting you to love me Ryoma, but I will not stand for it if I do not have your respect, I am not the type of woman you can disregard or use as a trophy."

"I do not believe I quite follow...what is it you are demanding of me exactly?" Looking at Camilla, it was almost impossible to read her expression as she looked at him, void of any emotion.

"I'm going to be your Queen one day soon Ryoma, and I don't know what you expect of me, but I can promise you I will be taking an active role in helping run Hoshido and keeping the peace with Nohr, nothing you say will convince me to do otherwise." Leaning forward, she picked up a piece of paper from his desk, beginning to read it. "I suggest you get used to it before we are wed, because I intend to be coming in here often to help with all this stuff!"

"I...I will try to get accustomed to the concept, though it may take some time, the only people who usually assist are my brothers." Sighing, Ryoma picked up his pen once more, taking a fresh piece of paper out. "Hinoka has graciously agreed to plan our engagement celebrations however, so that does leave you free to perhaps take a royal visit. It would both boost morale and allow you to see more of the kingdom, should you wish to go on one?"

Looking around the room, Camilla sat in silence for a moment as she thought about the idea. Of course, it would be useful in one way, it would be far quicker to learn about the country through experiencing it, to see their customs up close and to get a feel for how the kingdom was faring. However, there was no guarantee how the people would react; they might believe it to be a front against their kingdom if she were to visit after all the damage her father caused.

Taking a deep breath, Camilla nodded slightly. "That sounds like a wise idea, it would present a more positive view of Nohr and it's royals before the marriage is announced, and we'll be able to set a precedent that talks are going well between both kingdoms if a royal of the opposite kingdom takes an interest in the well-being of both kingdoms." Smiling, she leant towards the brunette as she looked into his serious chocolate coloured eyes. "When are we going to go, maybe we can make a few days of it, it's still work for you after all so it's not like you'd be slacking off."

"We?" Shaking his head, Ryoma continued to write. "I have far too much to do, you will be going with Takumi, he is more than capable of assisting with anything that any royal visit may require."

"Surely it would make more sense if you were the one to go on the visit, it would put us in good stead for when the wedding is announced; it would be showing that we're both making an effort to make our marriage work, and we would present a far more unified front." Frowning, Camilla brushed her hair out of her eyes as she looked at the king, trying to work out what the young man could be thinking.

"Like I said, I am far too busy to rush off on royal visits at this present time, the kingdom will not run itself, and Takumi is to be your brother in law, it would be highly beneficial for the two of you to get to know one another." Appearing to dismiss the situation entirely, Ryoma looked the lilac haired young woman straight in the eyes. "Now, is there anything else I can do to help you?" 

Standing up quickly, the Nohrian princess looked furious as she looked at her future husband. "You're just trying to avoid anyone seeing us in public aren't you? I know I'm not the right woman, but you're going to have to accept we will have to go on visits a lot, that we'll need to be seen as caring for one another and that we'll need to be intimate, your kingdom requires an heir Ryoma."

Avoiding her gaze, the brunette looked intently at his papers as he sat in silence for a moment. "It would do you well to not speak of matters you do not understand Lady Camilla. Do not start making accusations about how I am dealing with this matter when you know nothing of the inner workings."

"Inner workings? This isn't some strategy meeting about battle plans Ryoma, we're talking about a marriage!" Huffing, Camilla turned on her heel, going to walk out the room. As she grasped hold of the door handle, she turned to look at the young King. "I insist we have dinner tomorrow night, just the two of us. I am going to be your wife, it would be wrong if we did not learn about one another before the big day, so clear any plans you have, because I refuse to take no for an answer Ryoma."

The brunette looked at his fiance in surprise, taken aback by her boldness. As he thought about what she had said he had to admit the truth in the matter, it _was_ essential they got to know one another to avoid the constant, tense silences after all. "I suppose if you are so insistent I can do nothing but agree to your demands, I shall see you tomorrow my lady."

*-*-*-* The next morning *-*-*-*

Dressing quickly, Camilla found herself happier than she had been in days, knowing that she would finally be reunited with her retainers that very day. While she knew they appeared to be unusual candidates to be retainers, she loved them with all her heart none the less. It might appear ridiculous to many that she would employ a trained assassin as a retainer, or a woman she knew little about, but both women had proved themselves and she would not stand for anyone doubting either of them for even a second.

She knew that their reunion would be emotional, while neither Beruka or Selena would show their emotions, but she could not wait to pull them into her arms once more. She knew it was too much to hope they would bring dearest Elise with them, but she could not help but miss the young woman with all her heart. There was also the matter of her dinner with Ryoma to contend with, a mixture of feelings swirled around in the pit of her stomach as she thought about what that could bring. Of course, she dearly hoped that it would bring them to a more amenable place in their relationship, but she could not help but feel that she said the wrong things every time she spoke to the king of Hoshido.

Quickly making her way out of her room and towards the banqueting chambers, Camilla paused briefly, looking at the paintings she had argued with Ryoma about only a few days before. Looking at them, she felt a pang of pain as she thought about her own mother, the worthless, power hungry devilish woman who had raised her. For all she knew now she was dead; after Xander rose to the throne she had attempted to continue her manipulation much to Camilla's horror, as she tried to seduce the new king. Almost instantly Camilla had demanded she be thrown out of the capital, and though her brother was reluctant, he eventually consented to her being sent away from the capital, knowing it would only serve to cause more trouble.

In the coming weeks she knew that the other consorts of the late king Garon would be relocated in order to rid the Nohrian courts of the deception and manipulation that it had been as she grew up. It was a relief of course, but she knew that it would only be a matter of time before her mother would make herself known, seeking the power and treasure that Camilla's position of Queen would bring. She dreaded it, knowing that her mother would once again seek to control and ruin her life and free will.

Shaking her head, she quickly continued along the corridor, arriving at the banqueting hall in no time at all. Stepping inside, she could not help but notice that both Ryoma and Corrin were absent. Frowning slightly, she looked at Hinoka, who appeared to be talking animatedly to Azura, a light blush on the blue haired woman's face. Taking a seat, Camilla looked over at the two women curiously. "What on earth would make you blush so profusely Azura darling?" 

"It's... It's nothing important Camilla, we were just talking about work matters." Smiling, Azura quickly turned away from the confident redhead, looking instead at Camilla. "You seem very cheerful today."

"Oh cut the small talk Azura!" Hinoka demanded, laughing loudly. "We were just talking about the love of her life, she's been sneaking off and seeing some guy, but she won't tell me who." Smirking, she looked between Azura and Camilla. "Why don't you just tell us already Azura, if they're so serious about you we'll find out eventually when he asks for your hand."

"Please, Hinoka! I do not wish to talk about this right now, give it time." The blush only grew on her face as she looked away quickly, trying to end the conversation.

As Hinoka opened her mouth to speak once more, the opening of the main door stopped her in her tracks. Turning around, the three women watched as Corrin slipped through the door quietly, trying not to draw attention to himself; though it was in vain. His hair appeared wilder than usual, his cheeks rosy with a light blush. A groan escaped his mouth as he realised his sisters had spotted him, and with his head down he quickly walked over to the dining table, loading his plate.

Laughing, the eldest Hoshidan princess turned her attentions to Corrin. "Looks like you've been having a bit of fun yourself huh Corrin, who's swept your attentions away?"

"Hinoka, stop trying to match everyone up, or we'll all start thinking it is you that has found love, why else would you be acting so out of character." A masculine voice spoke up as Takumi looked over at the others, a bored expression on his face. 

"Oh back off Takumi, who asked you to get involved anyway? Is there something so wrong about wanting you all to be happy?" Taking a bite of her food, Hinoka looked towards the door. "Where is Ryoma anyway, he's not still cooped up in his office is he? I'm starting to think he sleeps in there."

"My apologies for my lateness, I had several matters to attend to sister." To everyone's surprise the armour clad man took his seat with no one having heard him come in. Looking over at Camilla, he smiled slightly. "I have good news, I have found a suitable royal visit for you and Takumi to go on, though it will require you to leave now, though a change of clothes may be in order for you, your fighting attire may be better suited for this job." 

"You're sending them to fight? I thought...I thought the fighting was done?" Sakura asked nervously, looking away from her husband. 

"Do not worry sister, it is rebuilding work not fighting." Smiling reassuringly at Sakura, Ryoma continued to explain. "The carriage has been readied for the two of you, you will be assisting in the rebuilding of a healing centre in one of the nearby towns. You should be back before sundown of course."

"Well, I suppose I should go get changed then shouldn't I?" Looking over at Takumi, the buxom young woman smiled at her future brother in law. "I won't be long, I'll meet you at the carriage okay?"

"I suppose I don't have a choice do I?" Finishing the last of his drink, Takumi rose to his feet and looked at his siblings. "Do try to behave now will you?"

After quickly changing, Camilla took the stairs two at a time as she headed out towards the courtyard. It would certainly prove for an interesting trip she supposed, and it would definitely show her willingness to make the whole engagement work; but she had a sinking feeling that the day would be filled with uncomfortable silences and unease.

As she drew closer to the carriage, she could not help but notice that only two people stood waiting; Takumi and the driver of the carriage. She frowned slightly, wondering where the young princes retainers were. "You haven't been waiting here too long have you boys?"

Shaking his head slightly, the driver quickly opened the carriage door for the two royals to enter. Gesturing for Camilla to enter first, Takumi spoke. "Not really, I was expecting a longer wait than this, I suppose you don't take quite so long fawning over your reflection than I thought."

"Fawning? Oh darling why on earth would I need to do that, your brother's the one who's meant to be paying attention to my beauty not me." Stepping inside, she carefully sat down on one of the plush burgundy seats. "I can already tell we're going to have such a splendid time, you have all these presumptions about me that I simply have to shatter!"

As Takumi settled down in the seat opposite her, the pair sat in silence for a moment as the carriage began to move. "You don't strike me as the kind of person who wants to help without having an ulterior motive."

"You wound me Takumi, all I want to do is help, both these people and our kingdom's." Smirking slightly, she leant forward as she looked at the serious man. "So, how come your retainers aren't here?"

"It's their day off, not that it's any of your concern. Besides, I'm more than capable of dealing with you on my own." Looking out the window, Takumi tried to avoid looking at the Nohrian princess.

"Oh I see." Pausing, her eyes glistened as her smile only grew. "So is Hinata still your retainer now he's married your sister, or have you got another one? It can hardly be practical for the two of you to share him, no matter how energetic and loyal he may be."

"It's none of your business who I choose to keep as my retainers, at least mine aren't criminals." Snapping, Takumi placed his bow beside him as he glared at her.

"Oh calm down, it was just a question, aren't you meant to be making an effort with me?" Pausing, she smirked once more as she crossed her legs. "Oboro seems like a lovely, loyal young woman, she all but threatened me out of her devotion to you."

"Well she is my retainer." A light blush began to spread across his cheeks as he avoided her gaze once more, clearly wanting to avoid Camilla seeing his expression. It was in vain however, as the young woman's smirk only grew further as she realised she had hit a nerve.

"It didn't seem like that was all it was to me." Laughing, Camilla smirked as she watched the blush grow on Takumi's face. "Though what do I know about a young woman's feelings, or about your preference in women." Pausing, she glanced at his blush. "Though, your face really does say it all darling, you ought to work on your poker face."

"I...I...Stop making things up!" Bright red, Takumi's usually serious posture had been compromised; sweat forming on his brow as he looked at her wildly, his brown eyes revealing his worry. "What I feel for Oboro is nothing more than what any royal feels for their retainers."

"Well I must say, I certainly don't blush like that when I talk about Beruka or Selena, perhaps I do not care as much as I should, if their name is not provoking such a reaction." Smirking slightly, she looked out the window. "Though hypothetically speaking, if you did find yourself having romantic feelings for the lovely Oboro... Don't take too long to admit it, to yourself or to her. She's a beautiful, skilled woman and soon enough someone will make an honest woman of her."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Looking at his hands, Takumi's face appeared more worried than before. "She wouldn't do that... would she?"

"A woman can only wait for so long Takumi, and with a woman like Oboro, I would assume being forward and direct with her is the best way to approach things, just have a think about it prince Takumi." Shaking her head slightly, she closed her eyes as she felt the carriage move underneath her, the bump of every stone it rode over, the sound of birds filling her ears as Takumi seemed lost for words.

"Hypothetically speaking, if I was to like someone, what would you propose I do about it." looking embarrassed, Takumi quickly interjected before she could reply. "Not that I do, I just wanted to see what nonsense you'd spew."

Opening her eyes, the Nohrian princess looked amused as she looked at the prince. "Oh of course, I would never have presumed otherwise." Stretching slightly, she smiled. "I'd tell you to find her as soon as we get back, and spend the rest of the day with her. As your brother's love has proved, you never know when you might lose the one you love. It's important to seize the opportunities when you can, similar to how you supported Hinata to take his chances with your dearest little sister."

"I see... I was expecting something more vulgar from you to be honest." Looking away, he nodded slightly. "Thanks, for not making it a joke, even if it's only hypothetical,"

"It's my pleasure darling, though... don't go mixing business with pleasure, if you get engaged with someone whose job is to protect you things will get messy, and that's not fair on anyone." She paused, smiling slightly. "Peri had a crush on Xander for a while, luckily she got over it but needless to say it made things extremely difficult."

Almost instantly Takumi fell silent, directing his attentions to the window as a pensive look appeared on his face; clearly thinking about what the older woman had said. The rest of the carriage ride continued in an uncomfortable silence; Takumi caught up in his own thoughts while Camilla thought about how to make a positive impression on her fiancee.

After over an hour of travelling, the two royals found themselves relieved as the carriage came to a juddering stop. Taking a deep breath, Camilla smiled slightly as the queasiness in her stomach began to settle after the bumpy ride. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in, only for it to catch in her throat as she realised that in just a few moments she would find herself facing the very same people that her father had brought her up to hate.

Of course, as she grew older she had begun to see the error of her fathers teachings, but by then it was far too late; she had personally been involved in quelling rebellions and damaging small towns on the outskirts of Hoshido; it would be naive to think that the people would forget so easily as the royals of the kingdom, having felt the attacks first hand. Taking another deep breath, the beautiful young woman slowly rose from her seat, a look of determination clear in her eyes as she looked at the carriage door. This was the duty of the eldest princess of Nohr, if she did not atone for her crimes and face these people now, her kingdom would suffer as a result of her failings.

Stepping outside, the young woman quickly found all her senses assaulted by the vibrant, aromatic town. Breathing in, her nostrils were overwhelmed with the smell of Lavenders and Freesias, looking around she could see beautiful flowers in every direction; sprouting from planting beds, window shelves and hanging baskets.

Within moments the town grew silent, each and every individual turned their attentions to the lilac haired young woman, varied expressions of fear and disgust on their faces. Trying to brush it off, she stepped further into the town, only to discover that to her horror, several of the townspeople stepped back in fear. Though she felt a pang of sorrow at the sight of so many people looking at her with such expressions, the young woman steeled herself, knowing that it would do no good for her to react; more than likely each and every one of them had a reason for looking at her in such a way, she could not blame them for their fear.

A light thud behind her alerted her to Takumi's exit from the carriage, and turning around to face him, she tried to push the image to the back of her mind, knowing that it would do no good. "Right then Prince Takumi, lets get started."

*-*-*-*Several Hours Later *-*-*-*

Though she was covered in mud, surrounded by fearful faces, Camilla succeeded in keeping a smile firmly on her lips until she was out of sight from prying eyes, hidden back in the security of the royal carriage. The day had been tense for her, to say the least, but she could not find it within herself to be angry at the people who had treated her so unkindly.

The carriage ride back had been a silent one; almost immediately Camilla had closed her eyes, pretending as though she was asleep in order to avoid another awkward conversation with the young prince. However, as the carriage slowed she knew she could avoid his gaze no longer.

As the Nohrian opened her eyes, Takumi looked at her almost immediately. "I...I'm sorry about how the people reacted; there is still tensions between our kingdoms, the public are uneasy... they will come round in time." Sighing, he adjusted his hair. "But still, I apologise for the treatment you received today, rest assured that I will tell my brother of what occurred." As he stood up, he appeared to adjust his clothes in attempt to look his best.

"Don't worry about it." Pausing, Camilla smirked slightly as she looked at the young man. "Making yourself look smart for a certain person?"

"I have no idea what you are referring to." Smiling slightly, Takumi opened the door to the carriage and stepped out, looking at her from outside. "Have a nice evening Camilla, it would appear that your retainers have arrived, judging from the Wyvern tail I've just seen." Without another word, the young man quickly walked off with a purpose.

Her eyes widening, Camilla quickly bolted out of the carriage, looking around wildly as she looked for her retainers. Almost immediately she caught sight of a head of blue hair, and she flung herself at the woman with no abandon. As she wrapped her arms around the young woman, she felt her tense at the embrace. "Oh I've missed you darling, how are you?"

"Lady Camilla..." The young woman muttered, and instantly the princess knew something was wrong. Stepping backwards, she held the assassin at arms length, a worried look on her face. As she looked at Beruka she noticed her eyes appeared to be red at the rims, the young woman clearly having been crying. This shocked Camilla to the core, something must be seriously wrong for such a normally stoic woman to have cried.

"Darling what's wrong?" She asked hesitantly, looking increasingly worried. "Have you been crying?"

"I...Here." Quickly shoving a letter into Camilla's hand, Beruka stepped backwards slightly.

Looking down, Camilla slowly read the letter, frowning as she recognised the writing.

 _Lady Camilla_

 _I've never been one for goodbyes, it fills me with unease, but you deserve a goodbye of some kind. It has been a pleasure to serve you Camilla, and though I know that a letter is unsuitable, I couldn't bring myself to look into your eyes and say farewell._

 _Now the war has ended I'm going home, and we will most likely never see each other again. I won't forget you and Beruka, even though you are both completely crazy. I wish you every success in your future, I hope your marriage goes well._

 _Selena._

Tears quickly began to fall as Camilla took in the contents of the letter. Selena was gone, one of her most beloved confidants had left her without so much of a word, just a simple, short letter. Sniffing, she tried to keep herself together as she looked over to Beruka, knowing that now was not the time for tears. "Who...Who brought Marzia here?"

"That would be me Lady Camilla." A familiar voice called out as a young man with caramel skin called out, his white hair as wild as ever as he looked at the princess with his lone eye.

As she slowly turned to face him, a familiar flutter returned to Camilla's chest, one she had tried so hard to forget about. "Niles..."


	8. Making Plans

**A/N: This week it's Leo's time for the polls! Don't worry, the Nohr royals will be coming in soon enough, of course they won't be in to the degree of Hoshido royals, but they'll be back soon! topic/192867/153537187/1/Leo-ships**

 **Thank you everyone for being so understanding about the delay in uploading, sorry its a tad late! My granddads out of hospital now and is doing well, so thank you to anyone who asked. However, I can't guarantee weekly uploading anymore because of my new job, but I'll do the best I can.**

" _That would be me Lady Camilla." A familiar voice called out as a young man with caramel skin called out, his white hair as wild as ever as he looked at the princess with his lone eye._

 _As she slowly turned to face him, a familiar flutter returned to Camilla's chest, one she had tried so hard to forget about. "Niles..."_

In that very moment Camilla froze, her eyes widening as she looked at her former lover. He looked as handsome as ever, his caramel skin glistened in the setting sunlight as he looked at her intently. His blue eye looked straight at her, as though staring into her very soul. She had to resist closing her eyes as she thought back to warmer times, their bodies entwined as they reached sweet bliss together, she could almost feel it coursing through her as they stood mere metres apart.

"You're looking well Cam... the countryside suits you better than expected it would seem." Looking at her, Niles smirked slightly. "Don't worry, Marzia's just fine, she behaved a treat."

"Y-You rode Marzia?! Don't be so preposterous, Marzia wouldn't let a man ride her!" Her mouth agape, Camilla looked between Beruka and Niles as she tried to process what had happened. "Beruka, is this true darling?"

Nodding slightly, the blue haired assassin looked between the two, clearly having no comprehension of what was going on in front of her. After a moment or two she stepped backwards, a slight frown on her face. "I need to go feed them now." She muttered, and without further ado she briskly walked off into the makeshift stables.

"That doesn't explain anything, even if you could ride her, why did you? There are plenty of people who would have been suitable to send, I know Brother would never have chosen you, so why did you offer Niles?" Growing more irritated by the second, Camilla's body shook slightly as she tried to keep her emotions from exploding.

"It's nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about Cam." A smirk firmly planted on his lips, Niles brushed his hair away from his lone eye. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

"I...I...I have better things to do than stand here talking to such a buffoon as you!" Turning on her heel, Camilla quickly raced from the scene, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried her best not to think of Niles, an endeavour which was far more difficult than she initially thought. The corridors were a blur as she all but raced back to her room, not even stopping for a second until her bedroom door was closed firmly behind her, locking herself away from the world.

She could still feel his hands over her body, running teasingly slow as she looked into his bright blue eye. She knew many people seemed intimidated by his lack of an eye, but it did not bother Camilla in the least, never had she flinched when he took his eyepatch off, instead treating him just the same as always.

It never could have lasted, she knew that well, but Niles turning up so suddenly had thrown everything out of place; she saw first-hand how painful it was not to marry the person you loved, yet here she was doing the exact same thing. As much as she tried to deny it, she loved the thief; he was not perfect, but Camilla had seen his flaws and loved him for it even more. It was striking, the differences between Ryoma and Niles, to go from a man who was rough around the edges but let her see his flaws, his insecurities and his issues, to a man who closed everything he could off from the world was jarring to say the least.

Slowly, Camilla sat down on the side of the bed, her head quickly dropping to her hands as she wondered desperately what to do; as much as she could deny it she still loved Niles, even his name sent shivers through her. He just had to come and complicate matters, it was always Niles' way to throw a spanner into the works, just when things began to settle. A frown quickly appeared across her features as she realised the implications of his arrival; Leo would be one retainer down. It made no sense really, though the war was over rebels still thrived within the kingdoms, and distrust was rife, her younger brother could easily get hurt without both retainers to protect him.

A determined look in her eye, she knew she must force him to return to Leo at once. Deep down, Camilla knew that she was just looking for an excuse to get him away, the pain of seeing his face was too much to bear. Sniffing, tears began to well up in her eyes as she looked at the floor, it was unfair to be too harsh on Niles, whatever his reasons for coming were shouldn't matter, her focus should be on Selena. Closing her eyes, Camilla hoped that she was okay wherever she was, that she had found people who would truly appreciate her. Underneath her facade of disinterest she knew that Selena was a fragile soul, and though Camilla could not even begin to comprehend why her beloved retainer had to leave, she desperately hoped that she would return one day.

As she sat with tears flowing down her cheeks, Camilla jumped slightly as a sharp knocking sound filled the air. Hastily wiping her tears away, the Nohrian princess made her way over to her bedroom door, wondering who on earth it could be.

Opening the door, Camilla stepped backwards as a familiar face slipped past her without so much as a word, his blue eye staring intently at her. "Niles what do you think you're doing? You can't just barge in on a lady."

"I'll bear that in mind for when I find one." Smirking slightly, Niles looked around. "Well isn't this place posh, at least you get to live in the lap of luxury while you live a lie huh?"

"Niles if this is about the wedding, I won't change my mind, a Nohrian, Hoshidan wedding needs to occur to bind our two kingdoms, so if you're here to win me ov-"

"Don't flatter yourself Cam, what we had was great but it's over. That's why I'm here, we didn't exactly leave things in a good way, we both deserve some closure don't you think?" Sitting himself down without being asked, Niles began to play with a trinket box from the table nearest him. "See, I've fallen for someone, but I figured we should get this all out the way once and for all, get your approval and stuff before I make a move. The last thing I want to do is upset you because you're not over me."

"Who said I'm not over you? Get over yourself Niles!" Snapping, Camilla looked infuriated as she glared at the young man, trying to work out what angle he was spinning. "Who is it then? Do I know them?"

"It doesn't really matter who does it, all that matters is that I've moved on and I'm asking for you to give your blessing." Putting the trinket box down, he looked at the lilac haired young woman. "Surely that's not hard to do is it?"

"Surely it's not hard to tell me who it is then is it?" Glaring, Camilla looked intently at Niles, trying to work out who it was he had fallen for. "You're meant to be with my brother anyway, now he's only being watched over by one retainer, how is that acceptable Niles?"

At that Niles looked away, a guilty look on his face as he avoided contact with Camilla's angry glare, lowering his voice. "He's not got any retainer with him actually..."

"What?! What do you mean no-one's with him? Where the hell is Odin, and how could you have left him without a retainer?" Quickly stepping towards him, Camilla looked furious as she glared down at the outlaw, her body shaking with rage.

"Odin left when Selena did, Laslow too... we think they must have gone together, but no-one has a clue why, they never really talked to each other." Sighing, he shook his head slightly. "Lord Leo insisted I came when he realised I desired to go."

"It could have waited Niles, your duty should be to Leo over whatever romance you've got going in your head! Are they worth so much as to be more important than the man you swore to protect?"

"I'm going, there's no sense in speaking with you when you're like this." Shaking his head, Niles quickly walked towards the door. "I'll come back later and we can finish this discussion alright?" Not giving her a chance to respond, Niles quickly made his way to the door, slipping out of it without a word.

Groaning, Camilla flung her arm out, knocking over a vase filled with flowers. As the glass shattered, the Nohrian princess looked down, watching as the water spilled out over the floor. Leaning down, she began to carefully pick up the pieces, tears slowly fell down her cheeks as she tried to keep herself together. Things were just falling apart more and more with every passing second, and she was not sure how much longer she could hold herself together. Something just had to start going right; the most pressing issue in her future her impending marriage to Ryoma. She knew she could never replace Scarlet in his heart, but she could not bear the thought of never experiencing love ever again.

Cursing, she quickly pulled her hand away, watching as blood begun to drip down her finger. Tears fell quickly as she stood up, holding her finger close to her as she looked around for something to sweep the glass up with. Wrapping a piece of cloth around her finger, she realised there was nothing suitable, instead throwing a cloth over the top of the shards.

Quickly removing her clothing, the young woman strode over to the closet, flicking through the dresses as she thought about what she needed. It had to be a dress to impress; one that showed off her curves, but at the same time respected her future husband's heritage. Looking through, she flicked past several dresses that weren't quite right, until she came across a beautiful material, a slippery silken fabric in the palest silver. Pulling it out, she could not help but notice it was far different to the other dresses; instead a mixture of both cultures she would become entwined between. Fingering the sheer, floaty sleeves, she wondered if Ryoma would like it, but at the back of her mind it was another face she thought of.

Slipping the number on, Camilla looked at herself in the mirror for a moment, wondering whether it would be good enough. Before she could decide however, she was interrupted by a sharp rapping on the door.

As she walked towards the door she quickly adjusted her dress, pulling it down hesitantly as she took a deep breath. Pulling the door open quickly, Camilla's face returned once more to its usual state, any signs of her being upset had vanished with the opening of the door.

On the other side stood two individuals; the ever serious Ryoma, and a young woman clad in a maids outfit, her sky blue hair tied up neatly out of her way who held a tray laden with food. Quickly making her way into the room, Flora carefully placed the tray on the table, before turning to look at the cloth strewn on the floor. With a frown on her face, she reached down, lifting the cloth and revealing the broken glass. As she leant down, Camilla could not help but notice a glimmer of blue as a necklace slipped between the buttons of her dress; far more intricate than any that a servant could afford. As she looked at the necklace, she couldn't help but feel that she had seen it somewhere before, but could not quite put her finger on where. "Sorry about that Flora, it slipped off the table earlier and I couldn't find anything to clean it up with."

"I will clean it now and then leave you to your food Lady Camilla, King Ryoma." Bowing her head once more, she quickly leant down, freezing the glass into a block of ice before picking it up and quickly making her way out of the room, her head ducked downwards slightly. With her free hand, the maid closed the door behind her, leaving the two alone.

"You...ah...you look well." Ryoma muttered, a light blush spreading across his cheeks as he looked at Camilla. "Takumi informed me of what happened, I apologise on behalf of my subjects, times are tense right now, they will warm in time."

Walking over to him, Camilla rested her hand on his left arm, a smile on her face. If she was to marry him, she would certainly make sure her needs were met. "Thanks darling, you look delectable yourself, don't worry about earlier, I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"W-Well...I mean... We should eat before it goes cold." Quickly moving away from the princess, Ryoma pulled out a seat, gesturing for her to sit down. His face appeared flushed, a frown on his face as he looked away from the buxom princess.

"Thanks, you're a real gentleman." Sitting down with a wink, Camilla watched as the young king took a seat opposite her, his face still flushed. "Beruka won't be coming here until late by the way, so we've got plenty of time to talk."

"I see..." Removing the lids from the dishes, Ryoma carefully began to spoon food onto a plate. "Hinoka has informed me that our engagement party and the announcement will be made next week."

"Is that so?" Smiling slightly, she leant towards him. "Then I insist we start arranging this marriage; a swift one will do our kingdoms far better than a drawn out one, wouldn't you agree?"

Silent for a moment, Ryoma looked at the food for a moment before nodding slightly. "That would be the wisest decision, though I am afraid I am unfamiliar in wedding planning, what would you have us organise first?"

"Hmm..." Pouring herself a drink, Camilla thought for a moment. The location would automatically be the castle; leaving one key decision out of the equation, so she instead thought to the next. "The wedding party. I am unsure if you have groomsmen or bridesmaids within your weddings, but in Nohr we have them, and as such I want it to be incorporated within our wedding."

"I am familiar with the concept, so you are suggesting we choose them first?" Nodding slightly, Ryoma looked a little unsure as he handed her a plate. "Who would be your maid of honour?"

"Elise of course, she's my dearest sister, and though I am close to Beruka I doubt she would feel prepared to take on such a role, whereas Elise would relish in it." Pausing, she smiled warmly. "Though this would mean that she would have to stay here for a while, would that be acceptable?"

"She is your sister, she is welcome here at any time, you need only say when and a room will be arranged for her and any retainers she chooses to bring." Taking a sip of his drink, Ryoma's eyes shone as he thought hard about who he would chose. "I do not think the decision is so simple for me...Both Takumi and Corrin are my family, but Saizo has stood by my side for many years, it would feel wrong for him not to continue doing so."

"Where is Saizo anyway, I saw him the day I got here, but since then I've not seen hide nor hair of him. I know he's a ninja, but surely he's not _that_ good at hiding away!" Camilla remarked before taking a bite of her food.

"Saizo has been on a job, he'll be back soon however so I am sure you'll see more of him. I have been managing with Kagero doing minimal retainer jobs in his absence." Looking around the room, Ryoma took a deep breath as he prepared himself. "Speaking of retainers, word has it that you have lost one of yours, a redheaded young woman by the name of Selena?"

"Your sources are correct, what of it?" With a frown on her face, Camilla dreaded what she knew would come. It was unseemly for the future Queen to only have one retainer, and the brunette had already broached the subject of her taking a Hoshidan one once before, she did not doubt he was going to do so again.

"We have a fine selection of suitable war veterans who would pledge their allegiance to you. Reina and Orochi both served Lady Mikoto before, Rinkah has more than proved herself as a powerful warrior, though Hayato is young he too has proven himself, and a kitsune such as Kaden could be a valuable asset as a retainer."

"Be that as it may, do you not think you should focus on the fact Azura has no retainers? If I am to take a second, I insist she is assigned two, and then there is the matter of Hinata, is a prince allowed to be another prince's retainer? I assume that is what he is now, I have heard no news of Sakura stepping down from her position of princess after all." Frowning, Camilla dropped her utensils as she looked Ryoma dead in the eyes, almost daring him to challenge her.

"I agree, Azura should have retainers, I will arrange for her to choose two at the earliest opportunity, it was remiss of me to let her go so long without any." Sighing, the man in red placed his hands on the table. "In regards to Hinata, it is his choice, I would assume that he is still insistent upon continuing to be my brother's retainer." Smiling slightly, he looked at the lilac haired woman. "Now, will you at least consider my proposal that you take a new retainer?"

Closing her eyes, the Nohrian princess sighed loudly. "I suppose, I will let you know as soon as I decide who, I would prefer to talk to them before I express any interest in them being my retainer, and it is far too soon since my darling Selena left me, but I will try, for you."

The dinner continued peacefully, the two royals making small talk with one another; Camilla pronouncing that she would like Beruka and both of Ryoma's sisters to be bridesmaids, and Ryoma expressed his desire for Camilla to wear something that belonged to his mother, though he did not quite know what it would be at the time.

Finally parting, Camilla stood, following the king to the door, a small smile on her face. For a moment she had almost forgotten about the events of the day, instead focused wholly on trying to feel something for the man she would soon wed. Standing on the other side of the doorframe, Camilla blinked slightly as she realised that the brunette was looking at her.

"Goodnight Lady Camilla, thank you for your company this evening." He spoke quietly, a small smile on his face. "I am glad that we can be amenable with one another."

"It was my pleasure, goodnight my king." Before she knew what she was doing, Camilla leant forward, quickly pressing her lips to his; gently though not chastely, her hands reaching forward to rest on his chest. As her lips pressed against the brunettes, Camilla could not help but catch a flash of white out of the corner of her eye as Niles stood frozen at the end of the hall.


	9. Night Tremors

**A/N: I know it's been a long time, and to be quite honest I've been in two minds about continuing this. When I started, I had a clear view about where I wanted to take this, and while I still know my original intentions for this story, I found myself stopping playing fates. This was a mixture of ridiculously long shifts, progress in personal writing and falling out of passion for the game. While I only got into Fire Emblem with Awakening, I soon felt disappointed with the way that many of the characters were used within Fates (a feeling I have with a lot of media recently). So I really haven't felt much inspiration for writing this.**

 **After my partner revisited his SakuraxCorrin fic however, the sheer volume of remarks he received about continuing it surprised me, and one particular pm he got had me thinking about this fic for days. My shifts are still hectic as I work in the care sector, but if you're all willing to be patient with me in regards to uploads, then I'll try my best to see this through to the end. If anyone has any none royal ships for me to consider incorporating then please just say, and i'll consider if I can fit them in.**

Her breath caught in her throat as Ryoma quickly pulled away, she could see his mouth moving but the sound did not reach her ears, her eyes widening as she realised what she had done. Camilla froze, she could not work out what in gods name had possessed her to do such a thing; he was still mourning the death of his lover, and she was hardly in the right place to make such a bold move. Her face bright red, she watched as Ryoma hastily made his way down the hallway, his head ducked down as he could not seem to get away quick enough.

She was a fool, not only did she kiss a man who was clearly not ready to interact with her in a sexual way, but she had done so in front of her ex; who simply stood looking at her silently, a reproachful look in his eye. She knew she had done herself no favours; in fact she had most likely pushed both men away from her irrevocably.

Without a word, Niles turned on his heel, quickly striding back the way he had came. A sob catching in her throat, Camilla quickly raced back inside her room, slamming the door and bolting it shut. Her whole body shuddering, her back collided with the door as she slid to the floor, sobs coming out loud and clear. No matter what she did things seemed to keep going from bad to worse; at first all she had to worry about was getting to know with Ryoma, but now she had angry Hoshidans, unsure siblings and now a troublesome ex she could not get off her mind. It was not as though she had Selena to talk about these matters, Beruka would be useless at it, and the only person who knew she and Niles were an item was the tsundere redhead.

She could not do that again, there was no way she and Ryoma could get along if she kept making passes at him every time she was upset; while many men might jump at the chance to take advantage of her weak emotional state, she knew the Hoshidan king was a better man than that, without meaning to he would instead take pity on her.

Closing her eyes, Camilla began to wonder when things would look up for her once more.

The sun shone in, lighting Camilla's porcelain skin up beautifully, highlighting every scar and every beauty spot. Shifting slightly, her eyes quickly opened as she felt something pressed against her naked flesh; warm and inviting to the touch. Turning over, she was instantly drawn to smooth caramel skin that seemed to go on for miles, just as naked as she was. Reaching forwards, she gently touched the young man's chest, running her fingers up and down slowly.

All of a sudden his hand wrapped around hers, pulling her body closer to his as he looked down at her with a smirk firmly planted on his lips. "That tickles, cut it out Cam." Kissing her passionately, his hands began to roam all over her body as she moaned lightly.

" N-Niles!" She cried out as his hands dropped to below her waist; teasing as they slowly ran along her thighs. "I- I love you Niles, don't tease me darling."

"Tease? If you think this is teasing then you clearly don't know what the word means." Moving to kiss her neck, the one eyed man's hands continued to roam, caressing every inch of flesh. Groaning, Camilla's back arched, allowing his hands to reach new places as the pair lay entwined on the bed, their bodies writhing almost in sync.

As their bodies gave one final shudder, the pay lay in silence for a moment, each panting as they tried to regain their breath. After a few minutes, Niles sat up, turning to his side to look at the lilac beauty. "Listen Cam, this isn't personal but this, me and you... it just aint working."

"What?" A frown on her face, she quickly grasped for the cover, wrapping it around herself as she looked at him in horror. "Wh-What are you on about Niles, how can you say this isn't working, after what we just did!"

Standing up, the tanned man shrugged, quickly pulling his undergarments on as he set to covering his naked body. "It just doesn't feel right, and I mean, there's this other girl, absolute stunner and wild as all hell under the sheets..."

"Another woman?" Scrambling to a seated position, she struggled to get a grasp on the situation. "Who is it?" She all but yelled, pushing herself to her feet.

Almost as if by magic, in that moment the door opened, her beloved retainer Selena walking through the doors, her flaming red hair in it's usual two ponytails as she strode into the room. Her eyes widening, Camilla looked astounded as she quickly sat up, pulling the blanket over her as she tried to process what was going on. "S-Selena, what are you doing here? Beruka said-"

"That I'd left you? She got that right for sure, though let me guess, she tried to spare your feelings and fed you a load of lies." Rolling her eyes the serious young woman glared at the person she had sworn to protect. "Oh get over yourself you idiot, as if anyone could stand even ten seconds being near you, you make me sick with your constant craving for attention!" A smirk on her face, she walked towards Niles, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him passionately. "Why would anyone ever want you, you're nothing more than a cheap whore, spreading your legs for anyone who'll have you."

"Selena... Why are you doing this?" Jerking to her feet, Camilla quickly stood up, her hair spilling over her shoulders as she looked on in horror as the two people she loved dearly turned their backs on her, walking out the door in silence, their hands roaming all over one another. As the two reached the doorway a tear fell from Camilla's eye, and Selena's voice filled the air. "You're always going to be alone you selfish cow."

Tears began to fall at a rapid pace as she quickly shut her eyes tightly, trying not to fall to her knees. Almost instantly after closing her eyes however, Camilla felt her upper body being sucked in, almost as if a boa constrictor was wrapped around her.

Opening her eyes, she looked around wildly, completely stunned as she found herself surrounded by maids. Looking down, she noticed copious amounts of beautiful white silk, pooling around her waist as a glittering bodice strained against her torso. Her eyes widening, she looked around quickly, recognising Felicia only a few steps away. "Felicia what's happening?"

"We're trying to get you into your wedding dress Milady, it won't be long now!" The peach haired woman quickly spoke up, a blush spreading across her cheeks as she looks nervously. "Th-Theres just a slight problem."

"I'd hardly call it slight Felicia, this is all your fault Milady, why couldn't you have waited until after the wedding! It is not decent, Lord Corrin would never let such a thing happen to him." A stern face slid into view as Flora stepped into Camilla's line of sight, her maid outfit gone, instead a beautiful midnight blue gown hugged her curves, the familiar sapphire pendant secure around her neck. "After all, it is hardly conducive to a royal wedding for the bride to be pregnant before she even becomes their queen!"

Her eyes widening, Camilla's gaze instantly dropped, horror filling her to the very bones as she took note of how heavily pregnant she looked. Stepping backwards slightly, Camilla's mind raced as she tried to process what was going on. "Flora that is hardly approp-"

"Don't try to fool us Lady Camilla, this is just the same as what happened with your mother, she used you as a stepping stone, just like you are using King Ryoma's poor child, if it is even his." Scoffing slightly, Flora crossed her arms across her chest as her sister looked horrified.

Her voice catching in her throat, the usually strong woman turned on her heel, unable to look at the disapproving look in Flora's eyes. As she turned however, she came face to face with the last person she expected to see. She was clad in the most beautiful wedding gown Camilla had ever seen, embellished with deep red patterns that spread across her petite frame. Her brown eyes were filled with hatred as Scarlet glared at Camilla, her hands behind her back. "It should be me you know?" Laughing slightly, the blonde stepped towards Camilla, her body tense. "I'm the one he wanted, the one he was going to marry. What right do you have to marry him, to carry his child?"

"Scarlet I...But you're dead..." Camilla muttered, her body frozen as she looked at the Wyvern rider. It was definitely Scarlet, she looked just like she had the last time she had seen the woman, even down to the position of the delicate freckles that spread across the Hoshidan's cheeks. "I am not trying to replace you, it is just for-"

"For the kingdoms? Do you really think you can fool me with those lies?" Shaking her head slightly, Scarlet's arms moved quickly, holding a grand looking axe in her right hand. "Look familiar? I thought it was only fitting I cut my baby out of you with your own axe, it's kind of poetic when you think about it. The amount of blood you've spilled, it's time you learnt you are no better than the foes you fight."

As Scarlets heel connected with her stomach, Camilla went flying backwards, crashing into the wall a few feet away. Her breath catching in her throat, Scarlet moved forwards with incredible speed, and as she swung the axe downwards, a scream filled the air.

A deafening scream filled the air as Camilla shot upwards, sweat pouring down her body as she gasped desperately. Looking down wildly, she yanked the covers away, touching her toned stomach unsurely. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slowly eased herself out of bed, just as her bedroom door flew open, an axe held firmly in Beruka's hand, ready to attack at a moments notice. "Lady Camilla! Where is the attacker, I will make them regret daring to attack you."

Slowly stepping towards her retainer, Camilla simply wrapped her arms around the younger woman, deftly avoiding the blade of her axe. "Pay me no mind my dear sweet Beruka, I am afraid it was merely night tremors, I cannot apologise enough for waking you."

After a moment or two the axe fell to the floor with a loud clang as Beruka's arms wrapped around the usually together woman. "L-Camilla... these nightmares are only getting worse..." Her grey eyes sparkling with worry. "I beg of you, please see someone about them, perhaps they may have a sleeping draught here in Hoshido, or methods we do not in Nohr for ridding a person of things that plague them, I cannot... I cannot bear to see you like this night after night."

"I didn't know you cared so much my dear. Do not worry so much, I have more strength in me than you give me credit for, mere nightmares cannot beat me." Smiling warmly, Camilla gently stroked her dusky blue hair, her breathing steadying itself as she looked down at her retainer. She was so used to Beruka avoiding her emotions, ever resolute as she carried out anything Camilla asked of her. To see her so weak shocked Camilla to the core, and as she looked at the woman in her arms she knew that Beruka needed her far more than she would ever let on. "Now, let us talk of happier matters. Has anyone captured your heart since we last saw one another? You know I only wish for you and Selena to be happy."

"Lady Camilla! Now is hardly a time for such affairs, we have too much going on in your life to concentrate on, my duty is to serve you, how could I do so if I were to be afflicted by an emotion such as love." Slipping out of Camilla's arms, Beruka quickly picked up her axe, placing it on the side before turning back to the princess. "The announcement of your engagement will be done later today, we must ready ourselves for the response Hoshidan's may have to this news. King Xander has expressed concern for your wellbeing in the aftermath of this... He has offered to send Peri or Benny to assist you."

"Xander can stop being such a worrywart, I do not need his retainer, nor do I need Benny to neglect his duties just to come and guard me as though I am some weak and in distress damsel. You and I shall do just splendidly for the time being, you know better than most that I will only replace Selena if I find another who I can truly trust." Turning towards the bed, she strode over to it, pulling the covers from it quickly. "Now, be a darling and check what time it is, I cannot sleep any longer."

While Camilla deftly stripped the bed, Beruka made her way to the window, a glimmer of light filling the room as she pushed the curtains back just enough to look outside. "I believe it is almost ti-"

Before Beruka could finish her sentence however, a loud rapping began on the door, surprising the two women. In mere moments the wyvern rider had strode across the room, grasping the door handle and tugging it open. "What do you want with my Lady?" She questioned, an unimpressed look on her face. After a moment or two she moved aside, allowing the other woman inside.

Oboro appeared unusually cheerful as she walked inside, a dress of the most beautiful fabrics carefully balanced across her arms. "Good morning Lady Camilla! Lady Hinoka has asked me to bring you the dress you will be wearing this morning, it's important that it fits perfectly, afterall, you will be meeting your future subjects!"

"Lady Hinoka? I was under the impression that you were in fact Takumi's retainer. How is the young prince this morning, I trust you have suitably ensured his outfit will be up to standard?" Smirking slightly, Camilla silently gestured for Beruka to go back to her own activities. "Now darling, would you mind helping me into that, I have yet to grow used to your attire here, and I fear that should Beruka and I try to work it out we will do dreadfully."

"Of course." Striding over, she carefully placed the dress on the side. "From what I hear Lady Hinoka has pulled out all the stops for this party, we simply cannot have any wardrobe malfunctions, I do not trust I would be able to get to you quick enough to assist."

Smirking once more, Camilla began to undress. "Will all of the Hoshidan retainers be in attendance, or has dear Takumi finally plucked up the courage to make you his lover?"

Almost instantly a blush spread across the spear masters cheeks, her eyes widening as she began to fumble with the first items of clothing. "Y-Yes all retainers will be there, b-but Lord Takumi has...he has requested to escort me to the party, as he wants me to enjoy the experience rather than working."

"So he has! Oh darling I can hear the wedding bells already, you will make such beautiful children don't you think?" Smirking as Oboro's face only grew scarlet in colour, Camilla moved her body accordingly, slipping into the clothes. "I suppose that will make us sisters one day, how wonderful! I wonder, will you or Sakura be the first to produce a royal baby."

"Stop it! It's not like that at all, Takumi is just feeling a lot of pressure to find a partner, which is only going to grow when your engagement is announced, he is just looking to divert some of that attention for a while until he finds a woman he wants by his side." Quickly trying to dress the princess, Oboro avoided the woman's gaze. "It is a temporary arrangement, that's all."

"Temporary arrangement?" Laughing loudly, Camilla turned to look at the dedicated retainer. "Darling even a blind man could see that he has already chosen the woman he wants by his side for his life; the way he looks at you, the way he talks, Takumi is no fool, you just need to show him that you want the same as he does." Turning back around, Camilla took a breath in as Oboro slid the rest of her clothes on. "Grasp happiness with both hands while you can, King Ryoma has sacrificed a great deal to Takumi can marry the woman he loves, so do not let stubbornness blind you darling."

Before either woman could say anything more, a loud crashing noise filled the room as Camilla's bedroom doors flew open and a petite blonde raced into the room, throwing her arms around Camilla. "Sis! This castle is gigantic, I thought I was never going to find you, I had to ask Lady Sakura, and boy did she look bad, is she ill or something?"

Laughing slightly, she wrapped her arms around Elise, her heart filling with warmth as she looked at her younger sister. She had always been the light in her life, having her in her arms now made Camilla far more at ease than she thought possible. "Oh Elise, I have missed you so dearly! I do hope Sakura is not coming down with a fever, she has helped so much." Smiling warmly as Oboro quickly left the room, Camilla ushered her younger sister to the bed, letting go of the woman as she took a good look at her. "My my, I do believe you have grown again, soon I will have to fight the men away who seek to steal you from me."

Laughing, Elise smiled warmly at her older sister. "Well you can't do that from here, I suppose you'll just have to stop this nonsense and come back home then!" Crossing her arms, a determined look filled her eyes. "Seriously though, please don't do this Camilla...I don't want you to be unhappy just to make our countries get on, you shouldn't have to sacrifice true love!"

"You speak as though you have felt true love dearest sister." Stroking her sisters hair, Camilla smiled slightly. "What I am doing is for the good of our people, it is worth any sacrifice I can give to right the wrongs of our father. It is my duty, and unlike you, I am bound by it." Stepping away from the young woman, she carefully adjusted her hair in the mirror. "Now, we will be late if we dally any longer here, let us move."

Though Elise appeared put out, she nodded slightly, and the two women slowly made their way out of the room and down the winding corridors. To Elise's surprise Camilla had grown far more accustomed to the winding paths of Hoshido castle, and in no time at all the two were coming to a halt infront of a pair of beautifully detailed doors. "Are you sure you're ready for this sis?"


	10. Ultimatum

**A/N: I'm glad to see that after all this time there is still some people who are coming back to this fic. At the moment I'm in the process of reassessing the story to give myself a clear path of where everything will be leading to. As it's been a long time since I was writing this originally, it may take a little while to readjust to writing these characters, but I'll do my best.**

 **This chapter is just a short one to showcase Ryoma's emotions and his own inner turmoil before we really get into the drama.**

"Ryoma, Ryoma wake up you lazy oaf!" A teasing voice rang out as the young king rolled over in bed, his eyes firmly shut as he tried to catch another few minutes sleep. "Whatever happened to being up at the crack of dawn, training before the sun had even risen. Has kingship made you soft my fierce some warrior?"

Sitting up quickly, Ryoma's eyes snapped open in seconds as he looked at the blonde woman in front of him. "S-Scarlet? But you're..." 

"Dead? Oh I know, but did you really think that something as fickle as life or death would stop me coming to kick your arse if you're being a fool?" Laughing slightly, Scarlet ran a hand through her choppy hair. "I don't want to see the man I love killing himself like this, you're not acting like yourself. There's always been more to you than just living for your kingdom, yet now you can't seem to care less."

"What is this illusion, trickery at the hands of dark mages?" Looking around quickly, the brunette tried to work out who was pulling this very cruel trick upon his heart. "I will see to it that you are punished for this blatant disrespect of the dead!"

Instead of anyone appearing however, Scarlet merely walked around his bed, perching herself on the edge, mere feet away. "Stop worrying about the how and the why, the point I'm trying to make is that you need to pull yourself together, think about your family over this kingdom, you deserve a bit of happiness, not this ridiculous marriage that goes against everything Lady Mikoto would have stood for." Smiling slightly, her chocolate eyes shone with amusement. "Just because I'm gone doesn't mean you won't find happiness again."

"Happiness? There is no happiness without you Scarlet, you are my everything, without you... I feel like I am drowning amidst despair." Reaching forwards, he pulled her into his arms, her porcelain skin as soft and beautiful as ever. "I wanted nothing more than to make you my Queen, for us to rule the kingdom as one, to grow old together and have children."

"That was all I wanted too, but we don't always get what we want." Her hand reached up, tenderly cupping his cheek. "Don't marry that Nohrian witch, don't sacrifice your happiness and curse yourself to a lifetime with her my love."

Shaking his head slightly, determination shone through Ryoma's eyes. "It is for the good of the kingdom."

"Is it though? Hoshido and Nohr will never be close, there has been too much bad blood between kingdoms for them ever to truly unite in one aim." Shaking her head, Scarlet stood up as she looked at the troubled man. "Do not ruin your life on someone you could not possibly see yourself being happy with."

Before Ryoma could respond however Scarlet began to fade right in front of his eyes. "I'm begging you Ryoma, don't do it." Mere moments later the swordsmasters eyes opened once more as he looked around desperately, looking around for one last glimpse of her beautiful smile.

After a moment or two he began to sob uncontrollably, clutching his chest desperately. He felt as though his heart was crumbling into tiny pieces as he lost Scarlet all over again. She was right, Camilla was the complete opposite of the cheerful young woman he loved so dearly, how could he love and marry a woman so far removed from the one who had stolen his heart. Should he really force himself into a loveless life in a feeble attempt to right the wrongs of the war.

Staggering to his feet, he knew that either way, he needed to ready himself quickly before it was too late to offer himself the luxury of deciding. In no time at all the man dressed, tugging on his finest armour to look his best for his people. As he affixed his chin armour, a familiar young woman slipped into the room, her black hair tied up and a small smile on her face. "It is good to see you are up already King Ryoma, I was beginning to grow worried at your late rising. Perhaps you would like to spar somewhat before your big announcement? I know you would usually do so with Saizo, but seen as he's still away maybe we could..." 

"I am afraid I could not possibly do so this morning Kagero, I must find speak with Lady Camilla before we make any announcements." Striding forwards, Ryoma quickly exited the room, before turning back to the young woman. "Perhaps once this debacle is over for the day we could spar, if that is of no inconvenience for you, I know Orochi will be returning when King Xander arrives."

"As your retainer I will always make time for assisting you my King, I hope everything is well between you and the Lady Camilla?" Kagero frowned slightly, walking towards him. "I am sure she is just as apprehensive as you are about this announcement."

"I do not doubt that. You may take the morning for your own activities, it must have been an age since you have last drawn, I do love looking upon your work." Smiling slightly at Kagero, he quickly strode away, walking directly to the room where he would shortly make or break the union with Nohr.

Slipping into the room, he was struck with how quiet it in fact was. Camilla had yet to arrive, and as he began to pace around the room, he wondered what he would say to the buxum woman. She was certainly one who appeared to know what she wanted at all times, and if her attempt at kissing him were anything to go by, he doubted she would be so eager to end this arrangement. He supposed that she may simply find him attractive, but he could not help but worry that she had some deeper plan, after all she was Nohrian, and try as he might, he could not bring himself to fully trust any of their royal siblings.

After what felt like an age the door opened once more and in she slipped. She was a picture of radiance as always, silvery fabric hugging every curve, yet far more elegant than anything he had seen her wear before. Her lustrous locks were down as always, several shining hairclips slipped in to keep it in place. Ryoma had to admit that she was beautiful, but her beauty was a foreign kind, it was out of place amongst the tender, gentle beauty he had so often seen within Hoshidan women. She was like a fire, burning brightly, yet he knew that just like a fire, she would never be controlled. He watched in silence as she smiled at her sister, kissing her on the forehead and ushering her on, asking her to keep an eye on Beruka for her.

"I must say King Ryoma, you do clean up rather well when you try don't you?" Looking amused, Camilla stepped further into the room. "You are here early are you not, are you that eager?"

"Eager? I...I believe we should talk, before either one of us does something they will regret." Frowning slightly, Ryoma took a deep breath. "I cannot allow you to be fooled, my heart belongs to Scarlet, and it always will. She was my centre, my everything, and no one shall ever replace her. In that knowledge, I feel it would be unjust of me to let you marry me and deny you of ever finding true happiness."

"Oh darling I'm no fool, have I ever indicated that I felt there would be feelings between you and I?" Laughing slightly, she walked over to him, placing her hand on his upper arm. "I am doing this merely for the good of my kingdom, I do not entertain such ludicrous ideals of love within this union, love is something for people like Sakura and Elise, it is not a luxury meant for you or I it would seem."

"That is a rather dark way to look at love. Yes, I have lost my chance, but you have a long life ahead of you, and an unfaithful Queen would only cause more problems for both kingdoms." Turning away from the princess, he looked out to the courtyard, where people had already began to flock, anticipating their king's speech.

"An unfaithful Queen? What kind of loose woman do you take me for Ryoma?" A stern expression on her face, she quickly moved towards him, turning him to look at her with one swift tug. "You misjudge my character, once I have set my mind to something I do not waver, I would not dare to bring shame upon either of our families by sleeping around!" Her entire body tense, Camilla's eyes were filled with fury. "I get that you think I'm trying to replace Scarlet, but accusing me of such dishonourable things only goes to show that you do not trust my kingdom! This marriage is designed to be improving bonds between our kingdoms, so I suggest that you rethink your prejudices and think about what is really important!"

A loud smash filled the air as a vase flew through the air, smashing against the wall behind the buxum princess. "You have no right to speak her name! She fought to protect this kingdom from the likes of your father, she lost her life protecting the kingdom she loved so dearly. You on the other hand have done nothing but damage this land, yet you think that you can step up and take her place so easily?"

Looking at the man in front of her, Camilla took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself. "In all due respect, you appear to know little of why I am trying to make this union work. Perhaps we should consider taking this conversation elsewhere, lest your subjects hear you." As Ryoma stood still, his entire body shaking as he silently fumed, Camilla stepped towards him slightly, her voice lowering. "It is not my intention to replace the woman you love, I may not have truly known her, but I have heard of her prowess as a resistance fighter, I have witnessed her strength and determination on the battlefield first hand; she is ten times the woman that I am."

Watching as the broken man's shaking began to subside, Camilla slowly walked towards him, resting her hand on his arm as she guided him to a seat. "Perhaps now is not the best time to be discussing a political marriage, you are still grieving for the woman you love."

"She was meant to be Queen, we were to be wed, but then she was taken away from me so suddenly." As the young king lowered his head, for the first time Camilla saw how truly fragile the war had left the man. Though he tried his best to be the picture of strength for the kingdom he held so dear, he was falling apart inside, grief consuming him. "I saw her again, she told me not to do this, that it was wrong. She's right, what is the point in marriage if it is not for love, what is the point of a Queen if it cannot be her?"

"I..." Sighing slightly, Camilla slowly lowered herself so that she was kneeling in front of Ryoma. "I never saw myself being married to you either, you're far too honourable to be my type it would seem. Life isn't fair sometimes though, our birthright has left us with a hard path to take, were we regular citizens we would be free to love and marry as we so chose, but instead we are left with the expectations of a whole kingdom; people who need us to marry, to bear children and secure the lineage of the throne in order to provide the whole kingdom with a sense of security. It is not fair, and it is not right, but our lives are not ours to choose, for hundreds of thousands of men, women and children now look to us to give them hope and keep them safe from harm."

Looking up at Camilla, his eyes were rimmed red, his breath shaky. "How can a man keep a kingdom safe when he cannot even keep the woman he loves alive?"

"Oh darling, I'm sorry." Moving forwards, Camilla carefully wrapped her arms around him. "You cannot blame yourself for her death, it will do you no good. Now, shall I find someone to call this announcement off, I hardly think you are willing to go so far for your kingdom any more." Smiling slightly, she looked down at her dress. "Not everyone is as masochistic as I, there may be other ways for me to right my fathers wrongs."

"You are not saying all there is to tell, secrets shine behind your eyes." Sighing slightly, Ryoma extracted himself from her grasp. "Do not think that I do not notice that this arrangement is not to your liking either; only one who has lost the worth of their own life would agree to marry a man she cannot stand." He laughed slightly as a frown quickly spread across Camilla's features. "Even in the war you only wished to speak of Corrin with me, I would call marriage a large jump even for someone of unsound mind."

"My actions are merely that of a desperate daughter wishing to right her fathers wrongs. I have grown tired of being compared to him, I wish to help heal the wounds of both of our kingdoms, and I see little alternative to help your kingdom due to the negative impression many of you have against Nohrians."

"Do you really think that this union would do either kingdom any good? We are more likely to kill one another rather than bond our two lands." Pausing slightly, he looked at her. "We are very different people, and I know in my heart I will never get over the pain I feel that I have lost Scarlet."

"We can either make the bond between our kingdoms greater than we could ever hope for, or break it completely and cause another war." Laughing slightly, Camilla pushed herself to her feet. "So what do you think?"


	11. Taking the Leap

**A/N: Thank you as always for your reviews, favourites and follows! I am starting to feel as though I have got my grips back on this story, and though ideas are still circling around my head for this; as it appears it will take a large amount of chapters to complete, I think I have the path mapped out once again!**

The two royals stood in silence for a moment, looking at each other with bated breath as they wondered what their future would be. As the troubled young man stood to his feet, a slight frown on his face, Camilla walked towards the balcony, taking a peak outside at the courtyard below them. It was full to the brim, everywhere she looked all that could be seen was happy, smiling faces; all eager to hear what their beloved king had to say to them. Their excited chattering blurred together as one, only a few words breaking free for Camilla to hear; words such as marriage, rebellion and power. In a sea of colour, Camilla noted in that moment that not even one person was from Nohr, despite the war being over both lands were still without tolerance for the other kingdoms, and with a sinking realisation Camilla knew that she would not see such freedom, such fluidity within cultures, and nationality as she had so hoped.

As she looked out at the people she felt a pang of guilt, if they were to go through with this, all she would be doing was tarnishing their opinion of their king, she would be filling their minds with seeds of doubt about his honour, his reliability and his aims. So caught up in her thoughts, she did not notice the brunette growing ever closer until his hand touched her arm, far more gentle than she ever imagined he was capable of. "We should not keep our people waiting; it would only serve to give them a negative first impression of their future Queen."

"Nothing we say or do is going to change their opinions of me darling." Laughing dryly, Camilla took a deep breath before nodding slightly. "After you my King."

In an instant his whole demeanour changed, as though he had not broken down in front of her mere minutes before. He stood taller, radiating strength and confidence as he stepped forwards, brushing the curtain aside and walking out to meet his people. The cheering was instantaneous; Camilla had never heard anything like it. In all her time in Nohr, never had she heard such rampant excitement to see an individual; so long had the kingdom been ruled by fear that even now people were unsure of what to think of their newest king. It was contagious, just hearing such elation pulled a genuine smile from Camilla's lips as she looked at the man she was to wed. Though she knew deep down that their reaction would soon change, she could not help but to revel in the moment, knowing that this was what a kingdom united truly looked like.

Rather than addressing his people however, Ryoma turned back towards the room, his arm outstretched as he looked at Camilla. "If you are to be Queen it is only right that you meet your people with me Lady Camilla." He spoke quietly, completely at ease with the situation. Stepping forwards slightly however, Camilla's hands shook, never in her life had she been so nervous about a royal duty, and as she took the Hoshidan king's hand, she let out a shaky breath, apprehension welling up inside of her as she stepped onto the balcony.

The reaction was instantaneous; a deathly silence hung in the air as the crowd merely looked up at their king, distrustful looks in their eyes as they took in the sight of the woman they had come to know of as their enemy. After a moment or muttering began once more, though this time, Camilla did not need to hear to know that it was all about her, and none of it good.

"Silence my people; I come to you as your King to bear great news onto you all." Never letting go of her hand, Ryoma stepped towards her slightly, before turning to look at his people. "It has been several months since we saw an end to the dreadful war that shook our kingdom to its very core, and since then, as you all know, Hoshido and Nohr have begun peace treaties to ensure we never witness a repeat of the tragedy that befell us all. After long talks between myself and King Xander of Nohr, we have agreed that it is in the best interests of both kingdoms to bind us irrevocably, and what better way to do this than a union between the royal families." Ignoring the growing mutterings of his people, Ryoma gently pulled Camilla to his side. "It is my honour therefore, to present to you, your future Queen, Princess Camilla of Nohr."

Yelling erupted from the crowd like wildfire, their discontent clear as furious looks were directed straight at Camilla. For a moment she looked on in horror as the people raged, a multitude of people screaming their refusal to accept such a decision. As the crowd only grew more angered with each passing second, Camilla let go of Ryoma's hand, stepping forwards until she was at the very edge of the balcony. "People of Hoshido, please! Lend me your ears, if only for a moment. It is not my intention to cause you all such distress!"

Camilla's words only appeared to enrage the crowd further, their yelling only growing louder as they attempted to block out the voice of the woman who represented everything evil in the world to them. After a few moments a deafening cry was heard, the King silencing his people in order for his future Queen to speak.

"I do not stand before you all ignorant of the wrongs my kingdom has done to your people, the damage that was caused to your lands, to your families, to your businesses was unjust and unacceptable; I do not wish to act as though it never happened, as I do not wish to make light of the suffering many of you experienced at my people's hands. My kingdom has committed many wrongs under the leadership of my late father, and my siblings and I cannot apologise enough for the damage it has caused, for the damage we ourselves have caused." Taking a deep breath, Camilla straightened up, standing strong as she thought of all the speeches she had watched Xander give, of all the apologies for their fathers actions he had been left to give. "It is not my intention however, to see your kingdom suffer any longer. I have witnessed the beauty of your lands, I have seen the rich and vibrant customs of your people and I do not wish to destroy them like you must think. Instead I wish to embrace them, I want to help your country to flourish once more, not as a Nohrian standing on the side-lines, but I wish to become a Queen worthy of the Hoshidan name. I come before you today not in the garb of my people, but in attire your kingdom holds so dear."

Looking out at the sea of people, she could not help but notice that her words had seemed to do nothing. Stepping backwards slightly, she sighed. "I do not expect you to believe me now, but I hope that in time I can earn the trust of your kingdom and be a Queen you can be proud of."

Without further ado she quickly turned on her heel, slipping back inside the room as she closed her eyes tightly. She had imagined that it would not be easy to marry Ryoma, she had accounted to the people disliking her, she had even accounted for Ryoma's distance, but to see the horror in the eyes of so many people she was set to lead was far more painful than she could ever have imagined. She watched as parents had shielded their young from her, as though she was some ferocious demon. Taking a shuddering breath, Camilla wondered if she would ever be able to win the kingdom over, for how much good she could do while its people despised her.

Slipping into a nearby seat, Camilla looked at her hands, the screams of protest ringing in her ears as she tried to compose herself once more. Surely there was something she could do, some way to prove to the kingdom that she was not seeking to harm its people, only to help them.

"They will come to see the truth in time, should Hinoka have married King Xander I believe she would have received a very similar response." Ryoma spoke quietly, standing close by as he looked down at her. "Perhaps it is best that you do not leave the castle grounds unaccompanied for the mean time, lest we tempt fate."

"I am more than capable of handling myself; I will not be forced into hiding merely because of your subjects stereotypical views." Standing up, she straightened her gown. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have much catching up to do with my sister before the celebrations this evening, perhaps it would do you well to find your own sister, I have heard she is unwell."

Frowning slightly, Ryoma exited the room without a word. As she watched him make a hasty exit, Camilla smiled to herself slightly as she realised that perhaps they did indeed have one thing in common; their devotion to their siblings. Slipping out the room after him, Camilla began to wander the castle in search of Elise, hoping that she would not be too far away.

After a few minutes the young woman came to a grinding halt, turning to her left as she heard the faintest of sobs. Her curiosity piquing, she slowly began to follow the source of the noise, not wanting to startle whoever was in distress. As she opened the door slowly, a familiar head of blonde hair caught her eye, and in an instant she launched forwards, pulling her younger sister into her arms. "Elise, oh my dear sweet Elise." Stroking the young woman's hair, she kissed her sister's forehead. "Who had made you cry like this?"

"It... It's nothing, I just..." Her body shaking violently with each cry, Elise struggled to get control of herself. "He's gone Cam... He's gone and he's not going to come back."

"Who's gone?" As Elise dropped to her knees, so did Camilla. She had never seen Elise so sad, she was the ray of sunshine within their dark lives, so to see her cry so dearly shook the lilac haired woman to her core. "Darling talk to me, let me help you!"

"Y-You can't! I've been looking since they left, he... he said he's not going to come back." Collapsing into Camilla's arms, her body looked almost broken. "It's not fair, I love him! I love him so much, and he just ran off with Laslow and Selena."

"You... you love Odin? Of all the people to fall in love with, you chose one of Leo's retainers?" Sighing slightly, she kissed Elise's forehead. "He's a fool to leave you Elise, if he has even a jot of sense he'll come back and grovel on his knees for you to take him back."

"He won't, he probably thinks I'm just some little girl, that's why he left, because he wants a real woman, not me." Sighing slightly, Elise looked up at her sister. "Why can't I be more like you, there's no way anyone could not love you! I mean Ryoma must know how lucky he is to be marrying you right?"

Laughing a little, Camilla continued to stroke the younger woman's hair gently. "You clearly did not see the announcement; I seriously doubt that King Ryoma still thinks that this is beneficial for our kingdoms, let alone feeling lucky to marry me. He is in love with another after all; would you like it if you were to wed another?"

Her eyes widening, Elise looked up in horror as her sister's words sank in. "I... I couldn't do it, I couldn't marry anyone but Odin, it wouldn't be right."

"Exactly. Now, why don't you go clean yourself up darling, the royals of Nohr do not show weakness in front of strangers after all." Smiling warmly at her sister, Camilla let go of the younger woman, slowly rising to her feet. "I promise I'll find out where that buffoon is, just leave it with me."

Nodding slightly, Elise shakily stood up, rubbing her eyes as she looked at her sister. "Thanks Cam... you always know what to say." Smiling slightly, Elise carefully straightened her dress. "I'll see you at the party, Leo and Xander will be here by then too!" Forcing one last smile, Elise turned on her heel and made her way out of the room, racing down the corridor before Camilla even had chance to respond.

Sighing slightly, Camilla followed her sister out of the room, looking around as she thought about what had just happened. She couldn't say that it was unexpected for her younger sister to fall in love, but she and Odin were just so different to one another; while Elise was sweet and innocent there was a look in Odin's eyes that he just could not shake, no matter how hard he tried. Ever since the beauty had met the sorcerer for the first time she had known that something was off about the man; once she had even caught him wielding a blade; a weapon he was supposedly terrible with, as though he was an expert swordsman. But still, who was she to deny her sister the man she truly loved; if only she knew how to go about finding the mysterious blonde.

Before she knew it, Camilla was walking outside, a variety of beautiful scents overwhelming her senses as she looked around. Though she had been in the Hoshidan castle for over a week now, she had yet to take a tour of the gardens, a fact that Camilla now severely regretted with every ounce of her being. Much of the plant life had been destroyed in Nohr, practicality took favour over beauty, and as such many plants had been deemed a waste by her late father. Stepping further into the garden, a genuine smile began to spread across her face as she took a sniff of the plants nearest to her.

"That's a Camellia, rather fitting that you were drawn to that flower off all the ones here." A small smile on her face, Azura smiled as she walked towards the elder woman, her hair flowing down her back. "I...Wanted to speak with you, if you have time to spare that is."

"Of course darling, we need not be blood related to be family; you are family to Corrin, so you're family to me." Walking over to the delicate looking woman, Camilla frowned slightly. "What can I help you with, is something troubling you Azura?"

"I witnessed the reaction the crowd had when King Ryoma announced that you are to be Queen of Hoshido, I wanted to see how you were." Taking a seat on the nearby bench, Azura began to fiddle with the lace gloves that she was wearing, all ready for the party. "For the longest time I have felt a stranger in this kingdom, though I have lived here since I was young I have never really felt at ease or welcome in this land, apart from by Sakura of course. Ryoma and Hinoka tried, but there is a certain reluctance to trust Nohrians that is so ingrained into this land that I fear it will never fully go away."

"I am not afraid of a little bit of resistance; it is understandable that they would not trust me." Sitting down next to Azura, Camilla smiled slightly. "I do wish that you had not had to experience such hardship, especially when you have done nothing to harm this kingdom, but I cannot expect anything but fear towards my presence."

"That is no way to look at the world Camilla; you should not have to prove your intentions to anyone, for people to insist upon such things, it just shows the sad state of the world right now." Looking around, she pointed over to a beautiful koi pond several feet away. "Everything here is filled with beauty, it is a far cry from the state of the kingdom, but I don't think it's gone forever. If anyone can see the true beauty and elegance that Hoshido should work to preserve it's an outsider, like you or I. They might not see it now, but you will do this kingdom far better than anyone realises."

Shaking her head slightly, Camilla looked over towards the koi pond, watching in awe as petals began to slowly fall into the water one by one. "You overestimate me Azura, there are several other royals who could do a superior job to me, you yourself could choose to make your royal status official within the kingdom, you seem to have such a vision for this land, and you have lived here long enough to know the hearts of the people."

"My heart is already taken I am afraid, I would give up anything for him, including a chance at fixing this kingdom." Smiling slightly, Azura looked over at Camilla. "There is more than one way to right the wrongs done to this kingdom, you and I will just have to take a different path to make the world a better-"

Before Azura could even finish her sentence, Camilla jumped to her feet, quickly pushing the songstress out of the way as an arrow flew towards them. Covering the smaller woman's body with her own, Camilla waited for a crunching noise, the arrow surely embedding within the tree trunk behind them, however, much to the young woman's surprise she instead heard the sound of metal connecting with metal.

As the two women sat up, turning back to the direction the arrow had come from, two familiar bodies stood in their way; red and green side by side as their bodies were crouched, ready for battle. After a moment or two, the shorter of the two turned around, a worried look on his face as he looked at the two women. "Azura my love, are you hurt?"


End file.
